Primeval
by Laura Donaghey
Summary: A man has been murdered by a monstrous creature deep within the New Forest, his girlfriend is missing and presumed taken by it. A specialist UNIT team are tasked to investigate, led by the formidable Lt Peter Argent. But when the Doctor and Rose unexpectedly show up, however, they must all learn to work together in order to discover the truth of what secrets lie beneath their feet.
1. Prologue

Torrential rain was pouring down from a dark, forbidding night sky.

Apart from the orange glow of Jane Wilson's dying torch beam, an incoming thunderstorm was the only source of light capable of penetrating through the darkness.

It was getting closer.

She could now only count three seconds between the lightning striking across the black clouds and the ground-shaking thunderous boom which followed after it.

How had she gotten herself into this mess?

Jane prided herself on being a very sensible person. Within the confines of her family and close friends, she was the one who made the plans for days out, made sure that appointments were kept, and generally did not find herself in any kind of inconvenient situation.

Let alone a downright dangerous one.

If only they could see her now, lost in the middle of the woods with no idea on where she was and no signal on her mobile phone from which to call for help, all with a horrific storm bearing down upon her. They might have laughed at first. However, as she continued to stumble and slip through the dense woodland that made up most of the New Forest, they would have no doubt shared growing concerns for her safety.

But her family and friends were not with her.

Jane was on her own, desperately searching for the only other living soul she knew to be out on such a terrible night. The same person who had brought her here in the first place.

He had simply disappeared.

"Tom!" She cried out. "Tom, where are you!?"

Part of her was still angry at her boyfriend. Mostly it was due to there being little doubt, as far as Jane was concerned, that when he did eventually reappear he would have some stupid excuse for where he had been, along with his usual silly grin plastered across his face. His boyish charms were one of the many things she loved about Tom Richardson. He was tall, strong and extremely good looking with thick blond hair and a well-formed rear end that turned a lot of female heads.

Jane herself didn't do such a bad job of capturing the attention of the opposite sex.

Slender and red-headed, she was not unattractive in the least and often had to pretend not to notice when men stared after her as she walked down the street or up to a bar to order a drink. But if she had to choose just one downside concerning her boyfriend, aside from dragging her to this godforsaken woods. It was that his job as a chartered accountant meant that he worked well beyond Jane's standard office hours as a human resources administrator.

"We need some time together, just you and me." Tom had announced one Saturday afternoon. "Don't you think so?"

He was sitting at the dining room table, half-hidden away and surrounded by a considerable pile of spreadsheets and paperwork that would always follow him home from work almost every evening and weekend.

"Yes, that would be nice."

Sat curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea in one hand and the latest issue of Vogue in the other, Jane had barely bothered to give the idea much thought. Every few weeks for a while now, Tom had either insisted that he was going to start cutting his hours down or that he would try moving to a different firm. More recently, however, he had been mentioning the idea of them going away together on a weekend break.

"Let's do it then. Next weekend."

Jane had only agreed to keep him in a good mood and avoid another argument about his work. Yes, he complained about it, but she knew that he would never be happy doing anything else.

It was only when she returned home from the office the following Friday evening and saw two small suitcases sat at the bottom of the stairs did it occur to her that Tom had been serious about it this time.

"Where are we going?" She asked, beaming at him as the Ford Focus reversed out of the driveway.

"It's a surprise."

Jane immediately began envisioning a cottage in the Cotswolds, or even a mini-break to Paris if Tom was hoping to impress her. But as they joined the M4 and drove away from the sprawling mass of London, she realised that they were travelling south-west and towards the coast.

"Tom, where are we going?"

They had just passed Basingstoke and were carrying on down the M3.

"You'll just have to wait and see." He replied, determined to tease her for a while longer. "Hopefully it won't be too dark by the time we get there."

It was late February and the sun had already begun to sink beneath the horizon. In less than ten minutes it was going to have vanished completely. The night would be cold and frosty at this time of year, perhaps windy too if they were indeed staying down by the coast. But none of this was going to be a problem, was it? Surely both their destination and accommodation would be civilised, even if it was in a more rural location?

The short answer was no, they were not. Tom had chosen camping in the middle of the New Forest.

He'd brought everything with them, including a gas stove, torches, sleeping bags, clothing, food and a modest two-man tent that Jane had long since assumed he had disposed of for lack of use.

"We can't just camp here." She told him as he went about setting everything up. "This could be private property."

"Nope, I've checked the map. There's nothing around for miles. Well, nothing except for us and the ponies."

As much as Jane hated the idea of being in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal whilst being completely isolated from anyone else, she could not bring herself to voice her concerns about the situation.

Tom looked so happy as he went about securing the guy ropes and warming up the kettle over the little camping stove. He soon even began attempting to build a small campfire for them to huddle around against the bitter cold of the wintry night. It was just them, alone together and without the stresses of work hovering over them like a persistent dark cloud.

"Okay, then." She eventually agreed. "As long as we don't get into any trouble."

That was two hours ago, and Jane wished more than anything that she could go back in time and order him to turn the car around the moment they had arrived.

Why? Why had she agreed to this!?

She had reached the edge of a dense cluster of trees, having followed the direction Tom had wandered off in an hour ago. They had needed more firewood and the woodland Jane had just passed through had seemed like the most logical choice to collect some.

But though branches good for burning were indeed aplenty, Tom himself was nowhere to be found.

Stretched out before Jane now were fields of open countryside. Having studied the map they'd brought with them, she knew it carried on for miles and any chance of reaching help would be near impossible to reach anytime soon. Her only choice was to double back and take the car, even if that meant leaving Tom alone in the forest. Where could he have gone? How long did it take to collect firewood? Something must have happened. Something...

A loud high pitched whinny pierced through the darkness and nearly gave Jane a heart attack.

She relaxed when she heard the repetitive thudding beat of hooves running along the sodden ground. The incoming storm was scaring some of the wild horses that roamed this part of England.

Another lightning bolt flashed across the sky and quite suddenly, as if she'd been struck by it, it occurred to her that she was standing under a very tall tree in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Going back now could run the risk of being hit.

The small cave less than two miles away had been the size of a pinhead on the map. It was only marked at all to ensure the safety of any passing rambler. Less than two miles away from Jane's current location, she hadn't given it too much thought until now. Maybe, just maybe it would be large enough in real life to crawl into until the storm passed by. It was certainly worth a try. Perhaps the same idea had crossed Tom's mind and that he was there right now.

At the very least it was nearer to her than her tent, and it would most likely prove to be a much sturdier shelter.

With a newfound sense of purpose, Jane stepped out from beneath the shelter of the woods and began to make her way across the fields.

It was by sheer luck that she chanced upon the cave. A conveniently timed lightning strike briefly illuminated the few slanted slabs of rock which rose above the ground that marked the entrance. Shining her torch through the narrow gap, Jane could see a small pocket of space within that looked habitable.

Crawling inside, and fearing more than once that she would get stuck between the roof and the muddy ground, she quickly discovered that the cave was not as small as it had first appeared to be from the outside.

A large circular hole extended the cave far beyond the first chamber, and what lay beyond it continued deep enough into the earth that Jane's torch beam did not reach far enough ahead to see what lay ahead of her.

The rain from the inside was seeping in and trailing down the remaining parts of the wall, making the rocky floor slippery as it gathered in pools underneath her feet.

But though it was just a big, damp gap in loosened bedrock, there was something not quite right about it.

The cave's entrance had been uneven and worn down. It had been formed and beaten into its current shape by thousands of years of wind and rain. This second opening, however, was almost perfectly circular and looked as though it could have been made yesterday. Examining it in closer detail, the very obvious and terrible truth was suddenly plain to see.

The hole had been made yesterday, or very recently at least.

But the worse part about this discovery was not when it had been made. The clues to what had created this new entrance were positively horrifying to comprehend. Huge claw marks ran deep along each side of the wall, making it obvious how easily the slicing of the gravelly soil had occurred. Following them with her torch, Jane could trace them upwards towards the roof as they dragged along the...

A low menacing growl echoed back down in response and she realised at that moment that she was no longer alone. It wasn't Tom. Directly above her, Jane saw it. Beyond her imagination, worse than her darkest nightmares, she saw the huge black breathing mass.

Against the storm outside, her screams were soon lost to the howling winds.


	2. Chapter 1

The most peculiar noise began to break the tranquillity of the wintry evening.

Chirping birds fell silent against the strange new sound as it groaned and wheezed into existence. Following it a moment later, the TARDIS' ancient engines began to power down as the ship materialised in the middle of the sun-kissed woodland.

Striding out, the Doctor inhaled a deep lungful of clean, crisp air.

"Ah! Smell that." He cried out. "Do you know what that is?"

Closing the door of the TARDIS behind her, Rose Tyler pulled on her denim jacket and shivered against the unexpected coldness.

"Trees and dirt?" She replied, her nose wrinkling at the smell. "Blimey, it's freezing here."

"But isn't it fantastic!" The Doctor cheered, throwing his arms out as he twirled around on the spot. His long overcoat was spinning around his ankles as he spun. "Not smelt this yet. Well, not with this nose at least."

"You brought us here to smell trees?"

"Oh, Rose! Why not?" He chirped as he came bounding over to her like an overexcited puppy. "Humans are the best and the worst for appreciating nature. Yes, there's pollution and too many trees are being cut down, and all that waste piling up. I mean, talk about not thinking about the future."

"Oi, we're not all like that."

"Course you're not! National Trust, I love it. Must get myself a membership come to think about it... But the bottom line is, if trees are your game then Earth is the place to be."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. He was so different now, so full of energy and cheerfulness.

"Okay, I get it!" She told him. "So where are we then? When are we?"

The Doctor paused quite seriously for a moment, and the look on his face immediately told Rose that he didn't even have an inkling of an idea of where in the entirety of space and time they were.

They were almost certainly on Earth, given his excited ramblings. It looked like Earth too. But after almost a year of travelling with the Time Lord, she had learned not to judge anything based on appearance alone.

"Hold on."

Running over to the nearest tree, the Doctor whipped out the sonic screwdriver and began to scan the trunk. For good measure, he then licked the rough bark surface. "Oh, not good. Yuck!" He grimaced, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Bark doesn't taste nice."

"You think?"

"But I do know where we are." He told her, smiling as he returned to his companion. "We're..."

The two soldiers had appeared from out of nowhere.

Bright red berets adorned their heads, but from the neck down they were dressed entirely in heavy black combat gear. The only glimmer of colour otherwise was a white-winged symbol that had been stitched onto their protective vests and the sleeves of their jackets.

They were also both holding SA80 battle rifles.

The British made weapons were capable of firing forty-five-millimetre cartridges from over three hundred meters away at nine hundred and thirty meters per second. It would take the space of less than the blink of an eyelid for the Doctor and Rose to be struck down should the soldiers decide to open fire.

The thin, elongated carbine barrels were pointed straight them.

"This is a restricted area!" The soldier stood to the left barked out. "Identify yourselves. Now!"

"Now wait just a moment." The Doctor began as he slowly raised his hands in surrender. "Soldiers in the New Forest? Is this a training exercise or are you two just lost?"

"The New Forest?" Rose questioned, her arms also held aloft. "That's where we are?"

"Yes, late February at a guess. Just under two months since your last visit home."

"Identify yourselves, both of you!" The soldier ordered again. "What are you doing here?"

"No, the question is, what are you doing here?" The Doctor countered. "On patrol and pointing those things at anyone who just happens to be out on an evening stroll."

His tone wasn't one of anger, but there was a hint of disapproval present as he cast his eye over the weapons the men were cradling. Lowering his hands and stuffing them into his coat pockets, the Doctor began to stroll over towards them.

"That's far enough. Stay where you are!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not armed. I don't like guns, really I don't."

He did stop walking towards them, however. The soldiers were on edge and wary of this unexpected encounter. They were obviously searching these woods for something or someone, but they did not quite know what or who it was specifically given their reaction to himself and Rose.

The Doctor didn't want to be shot again. The last time it had happened he had woken up in a hospital morgue in San Francisco.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

It was the second soldier who noticed the TARDIS first. Staring wide-eyed at the bright blue wooden box that was so oddly parked in the middle of the forest, his arms and the rifle they were holding slowly lowered towards the ground.

"Gordon." He whispered. "Gordon, look over there."

The soldier he was speaking to did not take notice of either the time machine or his colleague. Too focused on the Doctor and Rose and the potential threat he thought they were posing, he continued to issue his orders.

"This is a restricted area. No members of the public are allowed here." He stated. "Identify yourselves, right now."

"Gordon!" The other soldier hissed. "I know exactly who they are!"

Giving Gordon a slight nudge on the shoulder, he then pointed out the TARDIS. "Look! Do you see that?"

When he saw it for himself, the soldier's jaw almost dropped to the floor. His rifle was no longer pointing their way but was instead hanging limply from one hand as though it were a plastic toy replica.

"Oh my goodness."He gasped. "That's the TARDIS! Hart, look! It's actually the TARDIS!"

Hart smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I know." He replied. "I can see it too. So do you think that's him?"

"Must be," Gordon confirmed. "Who else would it be?"

The Doctor frowned.

There weren't many people in the universe, let alone humans from early twenty-first century Earth who could identify the TARDIS on sight. Less still who knew whom the ship belonged to.

"Sorry, but have we met?" He asked. "Because I think I might have remembered this happening. Or maybe it hasn't happened yet? Timelines can be a tricky thing to keep track of."

"No, Doctor," Gordon replied with a slightly bemused laugh. "We're UNIT."

Of course! The red berets and the winged logo on their uniforms should have identified the two men immediately as belonging to the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. The Doctor had helped set up the military organisation decades earlier in order to help the human race protect itself from alien threats in his absence.

It was a wonder that Gordon and Hart had been so hostile towards them.

In their line of work, an ordinary-looking man or woman could be a monstrous alien that was disguising itself to invade and either conquer or destroy the planet. Even some humans had previously worked against their own species in favour of siding with hostile visitors from the stars.

"Hang on, you mean the people from Downing Street?" Rose asked. "The same people?"

"Oh, this is brilliant!" The Doctor cheered. "Wonderful!"

He ran forward and ecstatically shook the hands of both men as best he could given the bulky rifles they were holding onto.

"Lance Corporal James Gordon. This is Private Nicolas Hart." Gordon introduced. "It's a real honour, sir."

"Great to met you both. I'm the Doctor, you already know that of course. This is Rose Tyler." He replied. "But tell me what's going on here? Why have UNIT been called out?"

Both soldiers had tensed up again. In their excitement of encountering the Doctor and the TARDIS, they appeared to have completely forgotten why they had been patrolling the woods in the first place.

"We were just -" Hart began to say.

"We can explain everything back at our camp, Doctor." Gordon quickly suggested, cutting Hart off. "Our commanding officer can fill you in."

"I'm sure they will." The Doctor replied, smiling back. "But a first-hand account always helps, wouldn't you agree?"

Gordon hesitated and chose not to answer.

They were withholding information deliberately, it was obvious. Rose wondered if they were even allowed to tell them anything at all, regardless of whether they wanted to or not. Soldiers had ranks for a reason. It was a chain of command that was rarely broken even under the most arduous of situations.

"The boss is the best person to speak to, Doctor." Hart reiterated. "It's his operation."

"Besides," Gordon added. "We can't have you or Rose wandering around these woods unaccompanied. We can't guarantee that it's safe around here right now. If you know what I mean."

The Doctor did. Something very dangerous from another world was on the loose within these woods. UNIT wouldn't be here for anything less.

"Oh, well in that case." He agreed. "We'd better go and have a chat with your boss. We would love to, wouldn't we, Rose?"

"Oh definitely." She agreed. "Plus I really wouldn't mind a cup of tea, it's freezing stood out here."

The sun had already vanished beneath the horizon, but there was just enough light remaining to make out a growing mass of menacing black clouds that were steadily heading towards them. With both darkness and a downpour threatening to descend upon them, Rose knew that soon she would not be able to see her hand in front of her face, let alone be able to navigate through an unfamiliar forest to an equally undisclosed location.

"Our base isn't too far away. Come on, we'll take you." Gordon offered, nodding in the direction he and Hart had come from. "Hopefully we'll get there before that weather hits us."

But less than twenty minutes later it was already pitch black and the first droplets of rain were beginning to fall.

Leading the way by torchlight, Gordon and Hart had slowed their pace in order to safely escort the Doctor and Rose though the maze of trees and tangled undergrowth.

Despite the declining weather, the mood of both men was cheerful as they made the most of their time with the Doctor. It was rare within UNIT to have such exclusive contact with the Time Lord, especially for the lower-ranking soldiers. As a result, they had spent most of the journey conversing excitedly with him about his numerous encounters with the alien lifeforms that had come to Earth in more recent years.

"No one suspected the Slitheen," Hart admitted. "It was very clever the way they invaded like that. Those compression devices fooled everyone. I mean, it was horrible for the people they killed, of course. But you had to admire them for it."

"Yes, though they did have some side effects." The Doctor mused. "Farting. Lots of farting. Not very nice at all."

Hart looked as though he wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. The Doctor merely smiled back at his bemused expression. After a few moments of debating, the younger man decided against questioning the subject further as they carried on walking.

"If we could have just harnessed the technology behind it." Gordon continued. "It might have proven useful to us. Maybe even medically so."

"How'd you mean, medically?" Rose asked. "Like using it in a hospital or something?"

"Ha, no. I'm just theorising." He chuckled. "I'm a combat medic. I transferred to UNIT three years ago from the reserves."

"So, you're a doctor and a soldier?"

"Soldier yes, but I'm more like a paramedic." He explained. "Given our line of work, you need someone with you who knows how to keep people alive."

Gordon was the eldest of the two soldiers. Around thirty, he was short and stocky with light brown hair and eyes the colour of the forest had it been summer. In direct contrast, Hart couldn't have been any older than Rose, and his fresh face and curly blond hair made him look like a schoolboy playing soldier.

"I only started working in the field six months ago." He informed her. "You can't believe some of the things you see."

"Tell me about it!"

"You saw the Sycorax, didn't you?" He asked. "I read the file on them, that they were like these big cow-headed warriors who fought with swords."

"Yes, I lost a hand that day." The Doctor replied over his shoulder, waving the aforementioned limb. "But it grew back."

"Oh, don't remind me," Rose said with a shudder. "That still gives me the creeps."

The trees were getting thinner now, and soon the woods fell away altogether. Emerging out into the open countryside, it was clear to see that they were no longer alone in the vast wilderness of the New Forest.

The buzzing hive of a military presence was visible even from where they were stood on the fringes of the woodland.

Strategically placed spotlights surrounding the base made up an illuminated perimeter and allowed Rose to see three large tents that had been set up to stand facing one another. Parked just on the outskirts of the temporary settlement were two standard army issue Land Rovers and a large transport van.

"That's our base," Gordon announced. "Come on, we'll take you to see -"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind going over there first."

The Doctor was pointing towards a fourth tent, one that Rose had missed entirely.

But she didn't have to ask what it was for, and it was very obvious why it was stood so far away from the rest of the base. She had seen similar ones on television shows where its appearance was only ever for one purpose.

The other tents were dark green and made of heavy canvas material, but this one was much smaller and had been constructed out of a stark white heavy-duty plastic. A large, luminescent yellow stripe ran around the bottom half of it.

It was what the police used when a dead body had been discovered.


	3. Chapter 2

It was such a strange place for someone to have died.

The New Forest was wild and ancient, almost completely unclaimed by the modern world. People did not belong to this rugged landscape of windswept moorlands and isolated pockets of boulders and densely packed trees.

Rose found it difficult to imagine how the unfortunate occupant of the tent had ended up here.

If they had been out walking and lost their way, the freezing temperatures and lack of places from which help could be summoned from might have contributed to their demise. Perhaps they had fallen and hurt themselves, therefore becoming unable to leave before night had drawn in.

But if this was the case then why was UNIT investigating?

As tragic as such a death was, the police should have been here to deal with it rather than an organisation who fought against invaders that came from other worlds.

But UNIT was here. Aliens had to be involved.

The expression on Gordon's face was grim as he looked in the direction the Doctor was pointing towards. He knew what was inside the tent. Something terrible had happened in this boggy field.

"It's not a pretty sight in there." He confirmed. "I did the preliminary examination when we arrived."

"I want to take a look." The Doctor decided. "You're going to need my help on this one."

It was a bold statement to make. Gordon and Hart were accommodating and friendly enough, but they were both highly trained soldiers who could handle whatever it was they had been tasked to deal with. They did not need anyone coming in from the outside to tell them otherwise.

However, this was the Doctor.

Rose had seen whole civilisations accept the Time Lord's wisdom and guidance without question. It was no surprise to her at all that less than an hour after arriving he was already starting to take charge.

"Yes, Doctor." Gordon agreed. "We're always grateful for your assistance. There's just one -"

"So we agree." He said happily. "Come on."

Without waiting for a response, he set off at a brisk pace towards the tent.

Gordon ran after him and managed to prevent the Doctor from going any further by stepping out in front of him. Regardless of how much respect and admiration he had, the lance corporal wasn't going to allow the Time Lord to wander around as he pleased.

"You'll need to speak with the boss first, Doctor." He advised. "It's his base and he won't like you snooping around it without his permission."

"I'm sure he'll make an exception, just this once." The Doctor reasoned. "Five minutes in there, that's all I need. Then I promise I'll have a chat with your commanding officer. No snooping involved whatsoever."

Gordon did not look convinced.

"Doctor, it's what you do best." He replied, half laughing. "Needless to say, you have quite the reputation."

"I do?"

"Besides, you don't want to get on the bad side of the boss," Hart added. "Don't get me wrong, he's brilliant at what he does, but..."

The look he exchanged with Gordon told Rose everything.

The man in charge would not stand for any messing around. Nothing would happen without his say so and there were to be no exceptions. This base was his territory and encroaching upon it was not advisable.

The Doctor's long breath of disappointment was completely for show.

Such formalities were of little consequence when something positively mysterious and dangerous was up for an investigation.

"Well, I suppose you do have your orders." He acknowledged. "Though you might want to read this first."

The Doctor's hand had already been tucked away inside his coat pocket. Quickly, he pulled out the battered leather wallet which contained the physic paper. Designed to show whatever it was the bearer wanted to be seen, there could have been a thousand possibilities on offer as Gordon took hold of it.

Rose watched as his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Orders from the brigadier?" He questioned. "He sent you here?"

"We're old pals." The Doctor confirmed, smiling. "He thought that you might need a helping hand."

Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart had been a young man when the Time Lord had first met him. One of the founders of UNIT, he now served as the commander for the British contingent of the organisation.

"Well…" Gordon began. "If the brigadier wants you running this one, then…"

The Doctor smiled at this.

Rank was everything in the armed forces. Regardless of who was in charge here, any orders that had been given had just been overturned instantly by what had been perceived as genuine communications from the brigadier.

"Why don't you lead the way?" He asked the lance corporal. "Then at least we can get dried off."

Hesitantly, Gordon nodded in agreement. Unable to refuse his request, and with the wind and rain only growing worse the longer they stood where they were, he did not protest and took them over to the tent.

A third soldier was stood outside guarding it.

Ignoring the downpour and bitterly cold temperatures, his serious and watchful expression did not suit how young he was.

Only a hint of curiosity flickered across the man's face as Gordon and Hart approached with two strangers in tow. Standing up a little bit straighter, he acknowledged them with a slight nod of his head.

"It's a code nine, Thompson," Gordon explained. "He's here to see the body."

The shock and amazement at the recognition of the Time Lord was instantaneous.

"Code nine?" The soldier questioned with some surprise, his voice distinctly Scottish. "Ya must be joking, sir! He's really the Doctor?"

"That's me, hello." The Doctor responded with a friendly wave. "Now, about that body?"

Indicating that they should follow him, Gordon took him and Rose past Thompson and on in through the opened flaps of the tent.

"Right, Doctor." He said. "Let's see what you make of this, shall we?"

Rose's heart was hammering against her chest now.

It didn't matter how much death or atrocious acts of violence she had witnessed. A bad feeling was beginning to bubble away in the pit of her stomach. Threatening to turn into bile as it started to rise into her throat, she forced herself to swallow as she braced herself.

"Oh my god!"

It had been a brutal end, that much was clear from the moment she laid eyes on the man.

He had already been placed inside a body bag, having been zipped up inside it as far as his chest. But that was not far enough to hide the cause of his death.

The cold had not claimed him, nor had this been an accident or unintentional tragedy of any kind.

His bright red walking jacket had been torn to shreds whilst many darkened patches indicated how much blood had been spilt. It had seeped through from uncountable amounts of cuts and slash marks which trailed their way right up to…

Rose very nearly threw up.

Almost all of the man's throat had been torn away. Save for part of his spine and a bit of skin, there was hardly anything left that was keeping his head attached to his shoulders.

"It's been bitten off." The Doctor noted, crouching down next to the body. "Some kind of animal attack?"

"The local authorities are under the impression that a lion escaped from a nearby private collection," Gordon told him. "At least that's what we told them happened, given the alternative explanation."

"Which is?"

"Nothing on Earth could have done this." He replied, shaking his head. "It's a large predator for sure, but the injuries are all wrong. Also, it drained nearly all of his blood. What kind of creature does that?"

"A vampire?" The Doctor remarked. "But yes, there isn't a species on this planet that could do this."

They were taking so impassively that Rose could not understand how they were so easily able to ignore the fact that this had once been a living, breathing person.

How long ago had he died? Did he have any family? Had they been told what had happened to their loved one, or were UNIT keeping everything to themselves until they caught whatever it was that had done this to him?

"Who was he?" She asked quietly. "The man, who was he?"

Hart regarded her with a sympathetic look.

"Tom Richardson. An accountant from London out here on a camping trip." He explained. "Some ramblers found him early this morning and called the police. His car and tent are just on the other side of the woods where we found you, but…"

He trailed off, shifting shifted uncomfortably as he looked over at Gordon.

"The complication is that he wasn't alone." The soldier continued. "We found two sleeping bags in the tent. All identification and personal belongings indicate that his girlfriend was with him."

"You haven't found her yet, have you?" The Doctor asked, standing back up. "That's why you were searching those woods again. In case she retraced her steps."

"We've been looking all day. In every possible direction for miles, Doctor." Gordon admitted. "There's no sign of her or whatever did this. We were on our way back from a final sweep of the area when we found you and Rose."

"I'm guessing the weather hasn't helped either?"

Given the sogginess of the ground, it had been raining on and off all day. Any tracks left by the missing woman or the creature which had killed with such ruthlessness would have all but vanished.

"No, and it's frustrating knowing that she could still be alive out there. There's also the small task of ensuring that this thing is stopped before it kills again."

On the other side of the tent was a small table. Stepping over to it, Gordon retrieved something which he then brought back over for the Doctor to examine.

The fang was the size of his palm.

Razor-sharp and curved almost enough to allow the two ends to meet, the power it once held was practically pulsating from its ivory-white surface. At the top of which was a good portion of bright pink fleshy gum that had been ripped away during the attack.

"Oh, now that is interesting." The Doctor declared. "May I see it?"

"It was found in what's left of his throat," Gordon explained as he handed it over. "Poor bloke. He put up a fight, but he didn't stand a chance."

Suddenly in need of some fresh air, Rose turned swiftly towards the unzipped doorway of the tent. But she only managed to travel a few paces when she collided into something solid and warm.

Another soldier had just stepped inside.

He was young, perhaps only twenty-two or twenty-three years old. His hair, cut short apart from two thick strands hanging over his forehead, was fair and wet from the rain. Tall and slender, his high cheekbones and small nose made for a slightly chiselled face.

Rose felt him falter slightly as she crashed into him.

"What the..." He began. "Who are you? What's going on here?"

He wasn't from London as Gordon and Hart were. Dropping the letters H and T much more, the accent lay somewhere slightly further south.

"Corporal, sir." Gordon greeted. "It's the Doctor. He's come to help us. Oh, and this is Rose Tyler."

Aware she was still stood no more than a couple of inches away from the solider, Rose took a step back away from him.

"Hello." She breathed. "Nice to meet you."

His eyes were brown and serious, and he ignored her as he regarded the Time Lord with a certain level of suspicion and curiosity.

"Corporal Stefan Amell." He introduced. "It seems you've caught us unawares, Doctor. We weren't informed that you were coming?"

"Last minute arrangement." The Doctor replied happily. "I'm sure you don't mind?"

"That's not up to me."

"No, of course not. I need to speak with whoever is in charge here."

He couldn't delay speaking with the commanding officer any longer. Not now that there was someone in need of rescuing. There wasn't a moment to lose in locating her and the alien that was stalking these woods.

"Yes, that should have been your priority," Amell remarked. "Instead of this little tour you've been given."

The annoyance in his voice was being directed towards Gordon and Hart.

"Sorry, Amell." Gordon quickly apologised. "We tried to tell him that. Though he has got direct orders from the brigadier."

The corporal looked slightly impressed by this revelation.

"Well, we can't argue with that." He stated matter-of-factly. "If you'll follow me?"

With a curt nod, Amell beckoned them away and back out into the cold night.

The downpour he had been caught up in had subsided for now. But the air remained damp, as though promising them that more rain would follow shortly.

It took less than a minute to reach the main section of the camp where the three larger tents had been erected. Billowing and rattling in the wind, inside they were a haven against the unpredictable weather that was plaguing the night.

Following the corporal into the nearest structure, Rose saw that it was a mess hall and storage area.

Two large collapsible tables had been joined together to make enough room for a dozen men to gather. The chairs surrounding them were made of hard plastic and had narrow bars of metal for legs. Trunks full of equipment lined the canvas walls almost up to the roof, presumably having been transported here in the van parked outside.

A fifth man was busy taking inventory of their contents.

He watched without comment as the Doctor and Rose were escorted through the tent, quickly returning to his work once they had passed him.

"Out of curiosity, corporal?" The Doctor queried. "How many men have you got with you?"

"There's eight of us."

"A bit of a small operation for UNIT?"

"Nothing to do with the assignment, Doctor," Amell replied. "As the boss will explain to you."

"Good, because there's a lot that he needs to account for."

Tucked deep inside his coat pocket, the Doctor made sure that he was keeping a firm hold on the menacingly sharp fang he had taken from Gordon.

Amell's forehead creased into a frown.

"I hope that you're not insinuating that he's been doing something wrong?"

There were no more than ten paces between each of the tents. But the corporal had stopped them exactly in the centre of them. Behind was the mess tent, and it was the only one with its flaps rolled up.

A second, slightly larger tent had to be for accommodation. They had been here since that morning, and now it was almost eight o'clock at night. Presumably, they would be here until the next day at the very least and therefore needed somewhere to sleep.

This just left the third and smallest one that was directly in front of them.

"No, not at all." The Doctor insisted. "But maybe there is something that he's been missing."

"Oh, and what might that be?"

Time Lord smiled.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked. "He needs me."


	4. Chapter 3

Harshly bright LED panels had been brought in to illuminate the makeshift office.

In the centre was a scratched and dented desk with three chairs placed around it. The only one with a padded seat stood facing the other two. Spread out between them across the surface of the desk was a large number of documents and paperwork.

Three SIG P226 pistols were acting as paperweights.

Further information and a large map of the New Forest had been pinned up on a noticeboard situated on the behind it. Rose noticed that there was a lot of handwritten observations scribbled across the different grids, with many locations on the map having been crossed out with a thick red marker.

She remembered what Gordon had said. They had been searching the area all day and had found nothing.

Perhaps the person in charge of the operation would be grateful for the Doctor's assistance. The situation almost seemed in need of it given the vast area the soldiers had covered so far without any progress to show for it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw that a cot had been set up just to the side of the tent. It didn't look as though it had been used. Despite the cold, there was only one blanket which had been folded up neatly and placed on top of an uncased pillow.

At the foot of the bed was a black Bergen rucksack that must have weighed at least twenty kilograms. The only items that had been unpacked from it, a jacket and one of UNIT's distinctive red berets, had been placed at the other end of the thin canvas mattress.

The two men were stood with their backs to them.

They were looking at the large map, discussing with one another what their next move might be in light of a thus far unsuccessful operation.

Turning around as they heard Amell step forward with the Doctor and Rose, their surprise was evident.

The tallest soldier was an incredibly fit black man who looked as though he had seen everything. Muscular with square shoulders and close-cropped hair, he had a handsome face made slightly uneven by a nose that had been broken sometime in the past.

The other one had to be the commanding officer.

Unlike everyone else, he was not wearing a bulky tac-vest and protective elbow and shin guards. His red beret was tucked in neatly through the lapel of his jacket. Underneath it, he was very skinny and had a pale and pointed face.

He was the first one to speak.

Putting the cap back on the marker he'd been using, he examined the Doctor and Rose with cold, murky-blue eyes that were the same colour as puddled rainwater.

"What am I suppose to make of this?" He demanded. "Just what are you smiling about, Amell?"

The corporal was stood to attention in the presence of his seniors. A half-smile had crossed his lips as a consequence of the news he was about to deliver.

"It's a code-nine, sir." He replied. "He reckons he needs to speak with the boss."

"Does he now?"

With a nod, the man allowed Amell to stand at ease and relax his position slightly.

He had a very clipped and articulate accent that was marred with hostility. Upon hearing it, Rose was fairly confident that he was not about to roll out the welcoming committee for the Time Lord.

"Yes, I do." The Doctor told him. "So, who do we have here?"

"Second Lieutenant Eugene Kensington." The pointed faced soldier introduced haughtily. "This is Sergeant John Becker."

"Doctor." The sergeant greeted. "This is an unusual surprise."

He spoke with a strange, slightly foreign accent and was completely serious. The Doctor smiled back in response as he slipped his hands into his coat pockets.

"Yes it is, isn't it?" He greeted. "But here I am. Ready and willing to help you lot out, again. So what do you have for me?"

Without waiting for permission, he sauntered over to the desk and took one of the chairs. Retrieving a pair of tortoiseshell framed glasses from his jacket pocket, he slipped them on and picked up a piece of paper at random.

It was a statement given by the police to UNIT when they had handed control over to them. It didn't say anything more that he didn't already know, but the Doctor still stored the information away.

_Tom Richardson, twenty-eight years old. Was found with extensive injuries to the throat and neck area. Possible result of an animal attack of an unknown origin. The victim was understood to have been out camping at the location in question with his partner when the incident occurred. Jane Wilson, also twenty-eight…_

The statement went on to detail as to how the body had been discovered and who the first responders on the scene had been.

The second piece of paper that had been lying underneath it caught the Doctor's attention next.

The penmanship was cursive and showed a right-handed owner that was well educated and more use to writing rather than typing away on a keyboard.

_Decisive frontal attack with the intent on killing the victim with a singular bite to the jugular vein. Unlikely done for food as the body remains otherwise untouched. The creature is assumed to be a large predator capable of hunting large mammals without issue, though no further reports of attacks indicate the victim was targeted for a specific reason. The primary asset remains missing and, if still alive, further strengthens the theory that said creature has above average intellect for any singular wild animal. _

_Searches of the surrounding area have yielded little results. The weather has hindered efforts, with all vital traces having been washed away before arrival. However, I strongly believed now that such a large creature would not choose to hide in such dense woodland. Quadruped animals of similar size prefer open spaces and would also not resort to an ambush strategy when known to be the apex hunter._

_The presence of daylight or the arrival of the team may have caused the creature to seek shelter. Eliminating the forest as a potential point of interest, and with additional support unable to find evidence that it has left the area, it could be that the creature has gone to_

The sentence stopped dead in its tracks, remaining unfinished as though the author no longer felt obliged to write the rest of it down. Otherwise, it was a fairly knowledgeable assessment of what the soldiers were potentially up against.

Dangerous. Monstrous. Intelligent. It had to be found before it killed again.

"Might I help you with something, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked up at Kensington. The officer was scowling down at him impatiently and did not look altogether impressed.

"You wrote this?" The Time Lord asked, holding up the paper. "It's very good, but you didn't finish it. Why did you stop writing when… Oh! Something occurred to you, didn't it?"

Kensington opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted before he could as the Doctor held up a hand and shushed him. "No, don't tell me!" He said. "You know where it is. Maybe it's just an idea right now, but you've just thought of something, haven't you?"

There was a long pause before the soldier spoke.

"No. I haven't." He replied. "Sorry, but I didn't write that."

The Doctor's eyes swivelled hopefully in the direction of Sergeant Becker.

"Did you…" He stopped when the man shook his head in response. "Okay, very strange."

Gordon. Hart. Thompson. Amell. The unnamed soldier in the tent. Kensington. Becker.

Rose ticked off the names of the soldiers in her head.

"Doctor, one of them is missing." She realised. "Didn't he say there were eight people here?"

She glanced in the direction of Corporal Amell.

"I did." He agreed before turning to Kensington. "Speaking of, sir. Where is -"

"Out on one of his little hunts." Kensington jumped in. "Took off without a word of warning. Left his gun behind too. If he didn't always come away without so much as a scratch then…"

Deciding it wasn't worth the aggravation, he waved the subject away with a waft of his hand.

The Doctor placed the piece of paper back down on the desk. In the end, it didn't matter which of the soldiers had complied the observation. No matter how accurate it was, they still hadn't found what had committed such a grizzly murder.

"Never mind that right now." He decided. "I've seen the body and I can tell you this is something UNIT hasn't faced before. You're out of places to search and almost out of time if you want to stop it."

"Doctor, with all due respect." Kensington began. "This operation -"

"Was a difficult one from the start." The Doctor acknowledged. "But I make it my business to help when no one else can. There's no shame at all in admitting that you need it. Given the circumstances, I think you might benefit from learning a thing or two now that you've got me."

Rose felt the mood in the tent shift in an instant.

These soldiers had been working all day in the worse of conditions. They had done their best in trying to locate a very dangerous killer with almost nothing to aid them across a huge area.

The Doctor's indifference to this must have been nothing short of a slap to the face.

"Not your best." She told him. "Maybe a little rude."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just a bit."

The Doctor seemed genuinely surprised by this and glanced up at Kensington and Becker. Both men wore neutral expressions, as though such emotions were a waste of time they did not have.

None of them said anything about it, however, so he shrugged it off.

"Well, maybe I'm wrong." He admitted, swinging his legs up onto the desk as he leaned back into his seat. "So where do we go from here? You're the man in charge, Second Lieutenant Eugene Kensington. This is your mission, your team. What are your orders?"

The officer raised a quizzical eyebrow and frowned at him.

"My mission?" He questioned. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

It had all been a matter of assumption.

The Doctor had wanted to speak with the commanding officer and Amell had brought him here. But neither he nor Kensington himself had stated that the second lieutenant was in charge. He was simply the most senior man present in the absence of the team's actual leader.

"No wonder this whole thing is a complete shambles!" The Doctor exclaimed. "If your boss can't even be bothered to be here in person then we might as well all go home and forget about the whole thing."

If the soldiers weren't insulted before, then they certainly were now.

"Doctor!" Kensington barked. "If you have come here merely to critique everything we have done, then -"

"I've come here to help you." The Doctor countered. "For starters, I want to speak with the idiot running this mess. Right now."

The wind would have made more noise as the flap of the tent covering the doorway was pushed aside.

Kensington and Becker's scowls faded at once. The slightest hint of an amused smile had crossed both of their lips as they stood smartly to attention.

As Amell turned around and did the same, Rose looked behind her and finally met the elusive eighth soldier.

"Then you're in luck, Doctor." Kensington sneered. "Here he is right now."

The Doctor twisted round in his seat.

The most extraordinary pair of bright grey eyes were staring back at him, and it was immediately obvious just how furious they were.


	5. Chapter 4

_Plunk, plunk, plunk._

It had started to rain again. The droplets could be heard bouncing off the canvas roof over their heads.

The man who had arrived with the change in the weather was in his early twenties. He had an attractive face that was defined by a strong jawline and complemented his olive-toned skin and windswept mop of jet-black hair. At a little under six foot, he had the lean, muscular body of an athlete.

He was also absolutely filthy.

Despite the appalling conditions, he had ventured out in just a black t-shirt and combat trousers. Still damp from the previous downpour, his bare arms were covered in grime and dirt as though he had been crawling around on the muddied ground outside.

Some of it had even ended up on his nose.

Anyone else would have been shaking from head to foot from being in such a state. But he could have not looked more at ease with himself.

Rose hardly dared to breathe as he made his way inside.

But he passed her by without comment, not so much as looking at her as he instead took the time to retrieve his jacket and throw it on. Circling the desk where the Doctor was still sat with his legs propped up, he joined Kensington and Becker in front of the large map.

With a flicker of his head, he granted his men permission to stand at ease.

He then finally turned his unflinching gaze in the direction of the Time Lord. It was the cue for someone to explain to him just what was going on in here.

It was Kensington who took it upon himself to make the introductions.

"Code nine, boss." He announced. "Him and Miss Rose Tyler here were brought in by Gordon and Hart. The Doctor has seen the body and has been demanding to speak with you."

It was impossible to tell how the officer felt about this.

His stony-faced expression had not been followed up by a single word. But it seemed as though the arrival of the Doctor and his companion were second-rate news as far as he was concerned. Turning on his heel, he took the marker pen that Kensington had been holding onto.

An archway no bigger than the size of a thumbnail was circled quite decisively.

Leaning in to see what it correlated too, Becker took a moment to double-check the same location on the smaller, more detailed map that was spread out on the desk.

"That's a cave less than two miles away." He said. "But it's tiny, boss. Are you sure?"

It was obvious that the man thought he was right. His dishevelled state and absence from the base thus far was evidence enough of that.

"Gone to ground." The Doctor stated out loud. "That's what you were about to write down. You turned an expression into the solution, brilliant!"

The commanding officer did not look impressed by his praise.

Even now he still refused to speak as he glared down at the Time Lord as though he was still trying to figure him out. With such a piercing gaze, it wasn't hard to be made to feel slightly intimidated.

Nevertheless, the Doctor persevered. "Though I have to say, two miles is a long way to walk without a coat." He told him. "You also forgot your gun. Mind you, that's not a bad thing. I really don't like guns, but… It was fairly reckless of you given the circumstances, wouldn't you say so?"

He noticed that the man's jacket had two Order of Bath stars stitched onto each lapel. This made him a lieutenant, one rank higher than Kensington was.

Physically very fit, he was younger than his second-in-command by several years. Perhaps only twenty-three at the most, the lieutenant was clearly capable of working out in the field as well as from behind his desk.

The disorganised pile of paperwork showed slight disdain for the more administrative side of his job, but the report of the creature and the realisation of where it might have gone indicated a competent enough intelligence.

But this was all background information that did not entirely explain why this young officer had managed to capture the Time Lord's attention so effectively.

It was those metallic eyes of his. They were quite unlike any others the Doctor had ever seen before, and he had come across a whole universe of them. Against the artificial light, they almost seemed to shimmer as though flecks of sterling silver had been embedded into the irises.

The ring sat on his left middle finger was the same shade as them.

A striking blue gemstone joined each end of the band together. Circular in shape, it glowed rather than sparkled with an almost luminescent quality that created a sense of movement from within its depths.

It was as unique as its owner.

The lieutenant did, however, share the same distinctive southern accent which belonged to Corporal Amell.

"Perhaps I didn't require either of them." He stated plainly. "Then again, what business is it of yours?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"That's not a good enough reason." He haughtily countered back. "Lieutenant Peter Alexander Argent. The apparent idiot running this operation and the only one around here who is allowed to make any kind of demands."

"Yes, well on that note -"

"Get your feet off my desk!"

The snarling tone made the Doctor flinch.

He nodded slowly and removed his muddied Converses from the table. Several pieces of paper had become dampened underfoot, each one of them looking more important than the last.

"Right, yes." He breathed. "Sorry about that."

Lieutenant Argent gave a disgruntled snort and folded his arms across his chest.

"Why are you here, Doctor?" He questioned. "I don't recall asking for a scientific adviser?"

"What'd you mean?"

Rose instantly regretting saying anything as Argent scowled at her. He thought that she had less of a reason for being here than the Doctor did.

In the end, however, he decided to amuse her.

"Technically we're colleagues." He stated. "Though the Doctor is more of a freelance consultant."

This was not entirely new information to Rose.

Last year the Doctor had been called to Downing Street because of his expert knowledge on extraterrestrial life when a spaceship had crash-landed in the middle of London, taking out most of Big Ben in the process.

"A consultant that's been useful to UNIT in the past." The Time Lord reminded him. "So you might want to -"

"No, I might not want to do anything, Doctor." Argent snapped back before he could say anything else. "You're not even NATO ranked. But seeing as I am, that gives me the right to decide what happens next."

The Doctor smiled at this.

"Well now that you mention it, lieutenant." He began confidently. "Maybe you don't get the final say on the matter after all?"

For the first time since he'd walked in, the officer looked unsure of what was about to happen. He instantly looked over at Corporal Amell for an explanation. The soldier responded with a small shrug of apology before he delivered the news.

"He's got a piece of paper with orders from the brigadier." He said. "Giving him full access to the operation by the sounds of it."

"What?" Argent hissed quietly. "You have got to be kidding me?"

The Doctor had already dug his hand into his coat pocket.

Wincing as something sharp nipped his palm, he ended up first pulling out the large fang which belonged to the creature. Placing it carefully down on the desk, he went in for a second search and found the psychic paper.

"See for yourself." He told him. "Go on, take a look."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Argent's face as he took the leather wallet from the Doctor. Opening it up, his eyes narrowed with suspicion as he read what was written down.

Glancing back at the Time Lord, he gave nothing away as he then trained his gaze onto the corporal.

"Have you seen this, Stefan?" He asked. "Did you read it for yourself?"

"No, I didn't. Why, what's wrong with it?"

Argent barked out a small laugh in response.

"Oh, nothing much. Though it is fairly strange how the brigadier has managed to misspell his own name."

"What!?"

The Doctor jumped to his feet as he snatched back the paper and checked it for himself.

"You can see it for yourself, Doctor." The lieutenant told him. "In fact, there are several grammatical errors which I have trouble in understanding."

But the wording was completely perfect. Designed to look like an official memo signed by the brigadier himself, the Doctor had set it all out perfectly. There wasn't a comma or semicolon out of place.

Just what was Lieutenant Argent talking about?

"Maybe you need glasses, lieutenant." He told him. "Because I don't make spelling mistakes. In fact…"

The Doctor knew at once that he had been played.

It was such a simple trick that a child wouldn't have fallen for it. There had been no errors to speak of, and Argent had known it.

Letting the realisation sink in a moment longer, he smiled mockingly at the Time Lord.

"Maybe you shouldn't lie to me." He stated. "It's funny how people love to contradict each other. Especially when they're trying to be clever."

Pocketing the psychic paper, the Time Lord frowned at the officer.

"Okay, maybe I don't have official permission to be here." He admitted. "But you are still dealing with something incredibly dangerous."

The lieutenant was not alone in laughing at this. The other soldiers had taken his lead in finding the Doctor's words amusing.

"Yeah, we are," Argent told him sarcastically. "You could say that it's our job."

"So it's off to the cave you go? Just the eight of you against an unknown foe capable of almost tearing that poor man's head clean off?"

Argent's amusement faded away almost immediately.

"Myself and my team are more than up to the task." He told him. "So I don't require you and your associate sticking around and getting in our way."

"Oi!" Rose protested. "I'm not his associate."

"No, you're just a civilian girl who's way out of her depth. Compared to the others, you're not exactly high up on the list."

"Others? What are you talking about?"

The lieutenant was smirking again as he watched Rose look towards the Doctor for an explanation. But the Time Lord did not turn around to face her. Instead, he was glowering back at the soldier as though he had spilt a closely guarded secret.

"Oops, did I say too much?" Argent continued with some glee. "Then again, Miss Tyler. How much has he told you? I dare say that I know more about the Doctor than most. UNIT has quite the archive on him. Maybe I should inform you of -"

The thump of the Doctor's fist slamming down on the desk reverberated loudly within the confines of the tent.

"That's enough! I don't know what games you are playing here, but -"

"I don't play games, Doctor." He bit back. "I get the job done. So unless there is anything else, I think that we're finished here. Stefan, get them out of my sight."

The soldier stepped up obediently.

"Come on now, Doctor." He told him. "There's no need for you to stay."

Rose nodded in agreement. Mustering the meanest look she could manage, she glared at Lieutenant Argent as she came forward and took hold of the Time Lord's arm.

"Yeah, they don't want us here." She said. "Let's go somewhere fun."

But the Doctor could be incredibly stubborn. Even now he was refusing to budge.

"I'm trying to help you here." He tutted. "Why are you being so arrogantly stupid!?"

The danger this caused could be felt in an instant.

Rose saw it in the way Argent's nose twitched upwards into a snarl. Beside him, Kensington and Becker simultaneously each drew in a sharp breath.

Stefan Amell took a step back.

"Oh, dear." He whispered. "Not good."

Until now, despite his sullenness, the lieutenant had kept a relatively cool head against the Time Lord's repeated attempts to intervene. But now his patience was wearing precariously thin.

"Get out of this tent, Doctor." He growled. "Before I drag you out of it myself!"

Since his regeneration, the Doctor had become much less prone to anger. But there was something about this officer's sheer ignorance that was nothing short of infuriating.

"You are making a mistake in sending me away."

"Then it is mine to make!"

"You know, I feel sorry for your team, Lieutenant Argent." The Doctor continued, undeterred. "They've obviously got a commanding officer who doesn't care enough about them to listen to the one person that might actually be able to stop this thing."

He knew at once that he had finally pushed his luck too far.

A nerve had finally been touched, and Peter Argent's already fierce temper came out in full force as the soldier's face contorted with anger. His eyes flashed with fury so quickly that it gave off the impression that the silver flecks had ever so fleetingly lit up with it.

Walking around the desk to confront the Doctor, he looked as though he was about to hit him.

"How dare you!?" He spat, squaring up to him. "Do you honestly think that I would risk their lives for the sake of my own pride!?"

"We're all at risk if you don't let me help you."

"Carry on, Doctor, and I know who's going to be the first one to go!"

But before the situation could escalate any further, Stefan swiftly placed himself between the two men and stood firm as he faced his commanding officer.

"Peter, that's enough!" He told him sharply. "Cool it right now, mate."

It was a brave move that could have got him in a lot of trouble. But somehow, Rose knew that Stefan could get away with speaking out in such a manner.

There was a familiarity in the way they talked with one another. First names had been used when everyone else in the team used last ones. Cousins? No, they looked nothing like one another. Good friends was more likely. She could quite easily imagine that they might have known each other as children.

With a frustrated huff of annoyance, Peter looked away.

Just like that, the tense atmosphere dispersed. A rather awkward silence was left in its place, one that the Doctor broke with a slight hum of consideration.

"Well, now that we've got that sorted.."

He stopped talking as Stefan turned to face him with a thunderous expression on his face.

"You can question many things here, Doctor." He stated. "But not the boss' commitment to us or his job. He protects this world the same as you, so show him some goddamn respect."

The Doctor looked over at the lieutenant.

He still looked as though he wanted to toss him out of the tent, but for now, at least it looked as though he wasn't going to.

"Fine, but you're staying here," Peter muttered. "We're going to that cave right now."

"I'll inform the others, boss," Becker responded. "Get them ready."

"I'll brief them in ten minutes. Inside the mess, if you would, Becker."

Standing to attention again before he left, the sergeant then retrieved his gun and swiftly marched out of the tent.

_Plunk plunk, plunk plunk, plunk plunk._

The rain was falling harder and heavier now. It was pouring down the walls of the tent, creating pools of mud around the perimeter of the structure. Still not entirely dry herself, Rose shivered at the idea of anyone going out into such a miserable night.

"Sounds like one heck of a storm out there." She stated. "You'll have to wrap up warm."

To her surprise, Peter did not snap back at her. Walking over to his cot, he began pulling out several items from his backpack.

Mainly it was the same standard-issue protective gear his men were already wearing. However, Rose was surprised to see a very large hunting knife sitting among the folds of black material.

The Doctor had spotted it too.

Guns were one thing. It was inevitable that each man here would be armed. But the presence of this blade indicated that the lieutenant was prepared to take the wanted alien down in a much more decisive way.

"How exactly are you going to stop this creature?" He asked quite seriously. "Are you going to use that?"

"That depends if I need to." He muttered back. "But before you ask. Yes, I will try and resolve this as peacefully as I can. I don't want it turning into a bloodbath."

"If the creature is intelligent enough, we might be able to open negotiations with it," Kensington suggested. "Otherwise why did it take the primary?"

"You mean the missing woman?" Rose asked. "You think she's still alive?"

"Yes, I do," Peter replied as he finished organising his equipment. "Something else is going on here. I can feel it."

"Well, then it must be true," Kensington stated. "You're not normally wrong about these things."

"I'm never wrong on these things." He countered as he began to strap on his shin guards. "Normal formation, we'll treat it as a reconnaissance first and foremost."

"Very good, sir. I take it you want Amell running point with you?"

"No one I wouldn't trust more, Kensington." The lieutenant replied. "You fancy taking the backseat and babysit these two?"

He nodded in the direction of the Doctor and Rose.

"At least I'll be able to organise this fire hazard you call a desk." He jibed respectfully. "You'll never make a captain if you can't keep your papers in order."

Peter laughed at this.

Removing his jacket, he stripped off his grubby shirt in favour of swapping it for a clean identical one.

Revealing a hairless chest with a prominent six-pack, there was a tattoo that had been hidden under his sleeve. It was visible only long enough to allow Rose a glimpse of the two plain black bands that encircled his right upper-bicep.

She wondered what they symbolised. But now was not the right time to ask.

Kensington had already begun to shuffle the dozens of papers into neater piles. But it looked as though he was looking for something specific at the same time.

"Boss, where's that preliminary autopsy report?" He asked. "You'll need it for the final writeup."

"Erm… I had it in my hand when I was looking at the police statement." Peter replied absentmindedly. "I think I left it somewhere near Becker's gun."

"Yes, got it… Oh, it has a footprint on it?"

The Doctor hummed apologetically as he saw the muddled outline of his Converse All-Star sneaker smeared across the paper that Kensington was now holding up.

Peter Argent's frown had returned.

"Then maybe the Doctor can help you write up another one?" He enquired. "Seeing as he's such an expert on all things?"

"I wouldn't want to get in the way." The Time Lord replied. "You sure want me helping?"

"As I'm not going to be here, I don't much care what you do until I get back."

Pulling on a pair of leather riot gloves that were fingerless but padded across the knuckles, Peter then pointed in the direction of the cluttered desk.

"Gun?"

How Kensington knew which one was his escaped Rose, but she flinched as the soldier tossed it across the tent as though it were a ball. She hoped dearly that the safety was securely on as she watched Peter catch it skilfully with one hand. There was an empty holster strapped around his right thigh and he securely stowed it away inside it.

They were such a seamlessly sewn team. No wonder she and the Doctor weren't needed.

"Good luck." She told him instead. "I hope you find her."

"Before this thing finds you, lieutenant." The Doctor added. "Take care of yourself and your men. You've seen what that creature can do."

The soldier put his jacket back on and zipped it up.

"Don't worry about me, Doctor." He replied. "Save your concern for this creature I'm about to hunt down."

There was something dangerous about the way he had said this. Such brash confidence would have been ill-placed with anyone else, but it somehow seemed to suit the lieutenant almost too well.

"Okay then." The Doctor replied. "In that case, happy hunting."

_BOOM!_

Striking right overhead, the thunder was simply deafening.

"Oh for the love of God, this weather!" Peter snapped moodily. "Is it ever going to clear up?"

"Cheer up." The Doctor told him. "At least the rain has gone away."

He was right.

The pounding against the canvas roof of the tent had almost completely stopped. More would inevitably come before daybreak, but it would at least give the soldiers an easier trek over to the cave.

"Yes, well that's the least of…"

It was frightening how suddenly he stopped talking.

Stood with one hand on his elbow guard, the other on the strap that he was fastening around his arm, he had become as still as a statue. Tense and suddenly aware of something he didn't like, only his shimmering eyes moved as they looked to the left.

But there was nothing there, save for the wall of the tent.

"Sir, what is it?" Kensington asked. "You look like you've -"

"Turn off the lights."

"What, I don't -"

"The lights!" He hissed. "Now!"

To prevent the cable powering the three panels from getting wet, it had been strung up along the same wall that Peter was staring at. Rose spotted the small switch built into it. Walking over and flipping it, she plunged them all into darkness.

_BOOM!_

Lightning flashed across the sky that very same moment. Against the fleeting but dazzling surge of electrical energy, the enormous shadow of a monster was projected onto the flimsy canvas wall.

With it just a few inches away from her, Rose opened her mouth to scream.


	6. Chapter 5

She never got the chance to.

Someone grabbed her from behind and clamped a hand tightly over her lips, preventing the cry from escaping her throat.

A split second later the hot white light of the bolt vanished and left them once more under the cover of darkness. The dim glow of the distant floodlights outside provided little illumination but Rose's eyes adjusted quickly and it wasn't very difficult to make out the terrifying bulk of the alien creature the soldiers had been searching for all day.

It had found them in the end.

"Nobody move." A steady voice whispered. "Nobody speak."

It was Peter. It was his hand that was wrapped over Rose's mouth.

Had she not been so paralysed with fear, she might have found it impressive how quickly he had responded to both the creature and her reaction. In light of what they were facing, his voice was scarily calm.

Rose could not say the same of herself. She could hear the creature now.

Long, laboured breaths indicated that it had been running. It was impossible to make out the finer details of what it looked like, but she could see four legs and a rather wide head that was pointed down towards the ground.

It was sniffing them out.

How long before it detected the potent stench of their terror and came slicing through the thin material with its ferocious claws? Tom Richardson's mutilated body swam across Rose's eyes and she could only hope that it had been a quick death at the very least.

_BOOM!_

Pressed up against the lieutenant as he continued to hold onto her, she felt him flinch in reaction to a third bolt as it tore across the sky above.

The shadow was lost to them in the blinding light, and this time it did not come back.

Perhaps it had all been a terrible trick. The warped reflection of something entirely normal which had been made to look horrifying against the raging storm outside.

An impossible notion given that five people had all just seen the same thing.

"Peter, where's it gone?" Stefan hissed. "Where the hell has it gone!?"

Wriggling herself free of his grip as the lieutenant removed his hand from her mouth, Rose turned around to face him. She was surprised to see that he did not look quite so gathered as his voice had sounded just a few seconds ago.

His face was the coloured of ash and had an expression of complete disbelief spread across it.

"I don't…" He tried to say. "I've lost it."

"In weather like this, I'm surprised you knew it was there at all." The Doctor remarked. "But it's followed you back from the cave, lieutenant. That or it's been out there this whole time, running circles around you."

It wasn't meant as an insult this time. The urgency in the Time Lord's voice instead called for action.

"What about the others?" Rose realised. "We have to warn them!"

There was no way of telling where the creature had gone. It could still be right outside, waiting to pounce upon them the moment they stepped out. But at least they were aware of its presence and could proceed with relevant caution.

The same could not be said for the five soldiers who made up the rest of the team. They would be slaughtered if caught unawares by it.

The realisation of this dawned upon Peter and sprung him from his trance.

Drawing out his gun, he cocked it back so that it was ready to fire. Kensington and Stefan took this as a cue to retrieved their weapons before they waited upon his instruction.

"Form up. Keep the Doctor and Miss Tyler boxed in." He told them. "Status zero. Prepare for immediate contact."

The Doctor and Rose found themselves being hemmed into the middle of a tight triangle as the trio of soldiers started to advance towards the entrance of the tent. Peter was at the front and kept his gun held up as he tentatively pulled back the flap, hesitating for a moment as he did so.

When nothing presented itself, however, he led them out into the stormy night.

The base was empty. No one was around and the only audible noise was coming from above as the distant rumbles of thunder continued to set the abeyance for the grim situation they were in.

Rose felt a shiver travel up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Where is it?" She whispered. "It was right here."

Blindly, she took hold of the Doctor's hand. The sensation of his warm grip was comforting against the idea that something so dangerous could be close at hand.

Peter and his men were pivoting around on the spot. Keeping their arms and guns pointed out straight ahead of them, their index fingers were all in position and just a tiny squeeze away from pulling the trigger.

"It's toying with us." Kensington hissed. "Any moment now it'll…"

A loud, terrifying scream cut through the silence. It was coming from the mess tent less than several paces away from them.

"That's Davidson!" Peter shouted, sounding panicked. "It's gone after Davidson!"

He was already running.

Vanishing into the tent with his men following closely behind him, the Doctor was only slightly slower in reacting to the terrible cry for help.

Slipping on the mud as she took off after him, Rose launched herself headlong into the tent.

"Oh, that is beautiful!" She heard the Doctor gasp. "Stunning!"

Beautiful and stunning were not the two words Rose would have chosen to describe the creature that was stood before her.

It was at least two meters tall and had a surprisingly lightweight frame. Standing almost ape-like on all fours, it was covered in a black leathery skin that was completely hairless.

The head was the widest part of its body and reminded her of a bat. No eyes, with ears right in the centre of the skull. Three-inch claws protruded out from each of its four toes whilst its serrated teeth wound around its mouth, just like on a shark.

Two ivory white fangs curved down the side of its powerful jaw.

"Help me! Oh my god!"

To her horror, Rose saw that a man was lying at the creature's feet.

Davidson, the soldier who had been taking inventory of the boxed cargo, hadn't even heard the creature coming until it had been too late. His gun was still holstered and the bloodstained clipboard lying on the ground nearby showed how little of a chance he'd had in defending himself.

The first strike had come from behind.

Davidson had been grabbed hold of and flung clean across the tent, knocking over several chairs and one of the tables in the process. He had desperately tried to scramble away from it. Lying on his back, it was clear that he had already been badly wounded.

The trail of blood stood out against the muddy brown earth and it was coming from his left leg where a large tear in his trousers indicated the severity of his injury.

It was a miracle that he hadn't already been killed.

The thick material of Davidson's protective vest was riddled with claw marks, but it had been enough to save his life. The creature had also not gone in for the kill straight away, preferring instead to enjoy hunting down its newfound prey.

But now that the thrill of the chase was over, it was time to finish him off.

Just meters away from the defenceless man, it had hunkered itself down low and was growling softly as it readied itself for one final attack.

"Enemy in sight. Contact direct forward!" Peter bellowed. "Open fire! Shoot to kill!"

The creature had just enough time to turn its ugly head in his direction before it was pummelled by a barrage of bullets as the three soldiers discharged their weapons.

The noise was simply deafening.

Rose felt the boom of each gunshot course through her as dozens of rounds flew out of the barrels. Clamping her hands over her ears, she hoped that they were all expert marksmen given the creature's proximity to Davidson.

She needn't have worried. Each shot hit the creature either directly in the chest or head.

Staggering and swaying from the force of the multiple blows that should have obliterated it, the alien gave a sharp whine of protest before it fell back and sank to its knees.

But it did not go down for long. It wasn't even wounded.

The gunfire had not even scratched its toughened hide of black skin. If anything, the bullets had done nothing serve to but enrage it. Reclaiming its feet, the alien roared in protest of the assault.

"It's bloody bulletproof!" Kensington shouted out rather obviously. "What do we do?"

They had no other weapons on them. Even if the creature could be taken down by other means, there was no time in which they could retrieve what they needed. Watching with bated breath, knowing that one wrong move would mean death, Rose didn't even dare take her eyes off the alien as it stared back at them with cold, soulless black eyes.

With a snort that could have been interpreted as confident, it turned back towards Davidson. Drawn in by the scent of his blood and fear, it was going to finish him off with them all stood there watching.

"Hey!"

The volume in which Peter shouted was unnecessarily loud and aggressive. But it was enough to draw the creature's attention away from Davidson and onto him as he took a decisive few steps forward.

To the lieutenant's immediate right was one of the upturned chairs. The plastic back had cracked right down the middle, but the four metal legs were still intact and attached to it. Each one was about the length of Rose's arm and were only one or two centimetres thick.

Peter Argent broke one of them clean off with a single kick of his boot.

Holding the rod firmly in his hand like a baton, he made sure that his intention was clear to the creature as he edged a little closer towards it. Sensing the threat he now possessed, the alien turned and snarled at him viciously as it warned not to come any closer.

"Be careful, lieutenant." The Doctor cautioned. "It might be intelligent. You could try and reason with it?"

The creature snarled at him again and Peter responded in kind by bashing the metal bar against the table next to him, creating a loud clanging noise that reverberated around the tent.

"It's attacked without provocation, Doctor." He retorted. "Time it learned some manners."

The frightened soldier curled up on the ground and the sheer level of destruction already caused made for a valid point. But still, there were many species in the universe who actually possessed great wisdom despite outwardly primitive appearances.

"Well, yes. But we -"

The creature let out a bellowing roar as Peter took another step forward.

It started to move towards him, its head almost touching the ground in preparation of launching itself as its lethal claws impatiently dug up the soft ground.

"Guys, drag Davidson clear as soon as you can," Peter instructed Kensington and Stefan, not daring to take his eyes off of the creature. "I'll keep it distracted."

"Distracted!?" Kensington spat. "The Doctor's right! You're going to get yourself killed!"

With his back turned to all but Davidson, no one but the injured soldier saw the flicker of a grin cross the lieutenant's lips as he took another step forward.

The creature leapt without warning.

Springing like a pouncing cat, the huge alien threw itself at Peter with all of its strength. Almost as tall as he was even whilst stood on all fours, its lightweight frame made it fast and surprisingly agile for something so horrifically ungainly to look at.

Convinced she was about to see the officer be torn apart where he stood, Rose closed her eyes and prepared herself for the worst.

The thud of metal striking bone filled the air.

When no screams of agony followed, she willed herself to look and saw the creature stumbling away from Peter, whining and clutching its head where it had been hit hard enough to open up a deep cut.

"So you do bleed," Peter told it mockingly. "Well, maybe that'll teach you something."

But the creature was far from giving up. The wound it had received was minor compared to the damage it had already inflicted upon Davidson, not to mention what it could do to Peter if given the chance.

With another snarling growl, it stayed where it was for the moment as it began to assess him.

This gave Kensington and Stefan their chance as they swiftly crept forward and made their way successfully over to Davidson. Without hesitation, the soldier was grabbed underneath his arms and hauled back to where the Doctor and Rose were stood.

As his injured leg was dragged across the ground, the man let out a sharp yelp of pain.

This attracted the creature's attention. It was if it knew that it had just been cheated out of its prize and now wanted it back.

Peter was the only thing standing in its way.

"Boss, back the hell off," Kensington called out. "It'll tear you apart!"

There was movement at the other side of the tent as all of the remaining soldiers came running into the tent. Rose remembered that Becker had been sent to gather them all together and brief them of their new assignment.

They stopped dead in their tracks, however, the moment they saw what was in front of them.

"Oh my god!" Thompson shouted, "What the…"

Cursing very loudly, his broad Scottish accent carried over the din of the creature's growls and it turned its head curiously in his direction.

"Oi!" Peter shouted at it. "Keep your eyes on me. I'm not finished with you."

It was one of the most reckless, idiotic and brave things Rose had seen anyone do. Armed just with a metal stick and a loud voice, Peter was actually provoking it into attacking him.

Somehow it reminded her of the Doctor.

Convinced the first encounter had just been a lucky shot, the creature went for Peter again.

But he was ready for it. Stood in a defensive position with his makeshift weapon held just a few inches away from his face, he swiftly able to launch a counterattack.

Swiping it upwards like a sword, he hit the alien underneath the jaw and sent its head reeling back. With its huge body exposed, he then drove the jagged edge of the rod straight into the creature's chest. It dug in a good few inches, enough for it to stick in as the creature roared with pain.

Peter then lashed out with his foot again and struck the creature's left front leg. A bone broke. Rose heard the sickening snap from where she was stood on the other side of the tent.

She almost felt sorry for it as it backed away from him, whimpering with pain. Clearly, it was not used to attacking someone who could fight back.

"That's enough!" The Doctor called out. "You said you'd end this peacefully."

Peter risked looking back at him.

"I also said I would stop this thing any way I had to." He responded harshly. "But by all means, Doctor. You take on the giant killer bat whilst I stand there and pass judgement."

The Doctor's face lit up as an idea occurred to him.

"Bat!" He repeated quite cheerfully. "Yes, it does resemble one somewhat, doesn't it?"

He had already pulled out the sonic screwdriver, and he smiled as he held the small metal tube out in front of him and pressed down on the button.

A high pitched screech emitted from the small device and the effect it had was instantaneous.

Just like a bat, the creature had a hypersensitive set of ears that would amplify the frequency to an almost unbearable volume. Sure enough, it was clutching its head with its unbroken front limb as it writhed and tossed around in discomfort.

Just a few seconds more and it would pass out from the…

"Doctor, stop it right now!"

Stefan's arm swooped down and knocked the sonic screwdriver out of the Time Lord's hand. The noise stopped at once as it fell to the ground, leaving them all with a slight ringing sensation in their ears.

"No, why did you..."

But the Doctor stopped when he saw what else had happened as a result of his actions.

Peter had dropped to his knees and was knelt on the ground, bent over with his hands held firmly over his ears. By the look of it, he had been affected by the sound just as much as the creature had.

How this was possible, the Doctor did not know. Had he somehow got the frequency completely wrong? No, nobody else had reacted to it in the same way. Perhaps the lieutenant was wearing a hearing aid or even a concealed earpiece? The Doctor hadn't seen either, but technology in this century would make them tiny enough to remain….

"Ah! What the hell!?"

Rather unsteadily, Peter had managed to regain his feet. But he could no longer hear a thing as the disorientating blast of sound continued to blast through his ears, making him dizzy and unable to focus on anything.

"Peter, watch your back!"

Stefan took a step forward as he shouted out his warning. But it came a moment too late.

The lieutenant saw his friend's reaction and knew at once that he was in danger. He had made the mistake of turning away from the creature and had not seen it stand back up, this time rising up to its full height as it pulled the metal bar from out of its own chest.

It was still dripping with its blood as the alien took it in its hand and swung it at him.

_Smack!_

Peter turned right into the path of the rod. It slammed into the side of his head and sent him spinning through the air. It was like being hit by a brick wall. Peter felt every bone in his body rattle as white light exploded behind his eyes.

He came crashing down spectacularly hard on the ground.

But he had no time to react to this as the creature made to pounce upon him. Instinctively, Peter rolled aside and blindly managed to get himself underneath the table which had remained standing.

It was the worst of hiding places but it was enough to keep him alive for the…

CRASH!

The table groaned in protest as the colossal weight of the creature landed on top of it. The metal buckled almost instantly as the lightweight frame bent out of shape.

The legs gave way and the whole thing, creature included, landed on top of Peter.

Rose could no longer see him at all and gasped in horror as she watched the creature try to reach the soldier that was now lying pinned down underneath the table. It was protecting him, yes, but the sheer mass was surely going to squash him to death way before the alien got to him.

"Doctor, he'll be crushed!" She shouted. "Use the sonic screwdriver again."

The Time Lord already had it held out in front of him, ready to once again emit the screech that had been so effective in driving away the creature.

The solid thwack of the crossbow bolt impaling the creature's skull was deafening.

Blood so dark it was almost black splattered itself all the way up the canvas wall and even reached the roof as its head was reduced to a mushy mess of bone and brain matter.

The alien had been killed instantly.

Its huge body went limp and fell onto the table. The two-inch thick arrow shaft was still sticking out of its half-intact cranium.

"Well, that certainly did the trick." Becker's booming voice announced. "Good shot, private."

"Thank you, sir."

Private Hart still had the hefty crossbow aimed at the creature.

Purposely designed to fire much larger arrows than any normal counterpart, the opened trunk nearby made it obvious where he had got such an unconventional weapon from.

"Gordon, get to Davidson first. He's bleeding out." Stefan ordered. "Sarge, the boss is still pinned down."

The soldiers reacted at once.

Gordon had rather sensibly brought with him his medical kit and reached Davidson in a few short strides. With the help of Thompson and Kensington, he began to expertly stem the flow of blood that was seeping out from the man's leg.

But what about Peter?

Stefan, Becker and Hart were already straining to pull the heavy creature off the table. There was no movement from anywhere underneath, and Rose feared the worst as she and the Doctor ran over to help.

"Hold on, boss," Becker called out reassuringly. "We're coming."

Between the five of them, they managed to heave the body over and roll it onto the ground next to the table where it landed with a definitive thud. The table was easy after that, and the moment it was lifted up Rose was both astounded and relieved to hear a sudden burst of wheezing coughs coming from underneath it.

The side of Peter's head was covered in blood from where he'd been struck. Gasping for oxygen, the lieutenant managed to roll over onto his side as he continued to fight for his breath.

Kneeling down next to him, Stefan laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, mate." He told him gently. "You're alright. Breath nice and slow, that's it."

Slowly, Peter was able to regain control. Lying quite still for a moment with his eyes closed, he groaned loudly and winced as his hand travelled up towards his head.

"Ouch, that really hurt." He mumbled. "Hell of a swing."

Taking his hand away, he saw that it was covered in blood.

"You bleeding boss?" Becker asked. "Or is that -"

"Creature's blood, yeah," Peter said quickly. "Didn't even scratch me."

Moving onto his back, he tried to sit himself up. With a cry of pain, however, he instantly fell back as he clutched the side of his chest.

"Take it easy, lieutenant." The Doctor told him. "You've probably cracked a rib or two. Let me take a look."

Crouching down beside him, the Time Lord only got the sonic screwdriver halfway up before Stefan aggressively batted it away again.

"Haven't you done enough damage with that thing!?" He snapped at him. "You almost got him killed."

There was some truth to this. For whatever reason Peter had reacted badly to the device and it had distracted him long enough for the creature to quite literally turn the tables on him.

"Yes, okay. My bad." He admitted. "But I'm just going to scan him and see -"

"No, you're not." The corporal insisted. "He doesn't need it, so back off."

"Enough," Peter told them both. "Stefan, help me up."

Risking a lot of pain again, the lieutenant took hold of his arm and allowed himself to be pulled up into a sitting position. Still clutching his side, he took a steadying few breaths as he looked around the tent.

Stefan remained beside him, a protective hand hovering behind his friend's back just in case he fell again.

"You good?" He asked. "That was quite a hit you took."

Peter managed a flicker of a smile.

"I'm still alive." He replied. "What about Davidson?"

Gordon was still treating the soldier but he looked at his commanding officer and gave a thumbs up. The man himself was still lying on the ground, but he was conscious and no worse off aside from the large wound on his leg.

"Cat B, boss," Gordon replied. "You're a lucky man, Davidson."

"Lucky!?" The man gasped. "You need to read a bloody dictionary, Gordon!"

Gordon laughed at this.

"That thing was one nasty bat." He admitted. "Didn't expect it to be so big either. How did we miss it? Where did it come from?"

"No idea, but Hart put an end to it," Kensington said, nodding with approval at the private. "You saved their lives, well done."

"Fair shot too," Thomas added humorously as he pointed at the crossbow. "Nice to see that beauty in action at long last."

Hart hummed back but did not say anything. He'd become quite pale all of a sudden as he eyed the alien he'd just impaled with the weapon.

Peter looked up at him empathetically.

"The first one is always the hardest." He said. "But you did everything right, and it was the only option available. You followed your training perfectly. Hart, you did good."

The younger man seemed reassured by this.

"Thanks, boss." He mumbled. "Just glad you and Davidson are okay."

If okay was the operative word then Rose had a very different definition of it. Both men had barely escaped with their lives, and Peter seemed to be completely ignorant of that fact as he began joking about the situation with Stefan and Becker.

"That thing nearly had you." She pointed out. "You sure you're fine?"

Once again, she regretted saying anything as he frowned at her moodily.

"Well, it didn't, Miss Tyler." He told her. "Not that you would have been any help if it had."

It was impossible not to feel insulted by this, but Rose resisted the urge to smack him straight across his handsome face. Regardless of how rude he was to her, he had just risked his life protecting them all against a monster.

Despite his pretence too, he had been hurt.

With the help of Stefan and Becker, he got back onto his feet. Hissing from the pain, he held onto his side again for a few minutes. Waving away the concerned hands of his colleagues, he took a few deep breaths as he steadied himself.

"That was a brave thing you did." The Doctor told him. "But if you're hurt, then -"

"I've had worse, Doctor." He told him. "These men are my concern and responsibility. I'd risk far more to ensure their safety."

The Doctor nodded in agreement.

Gordon, however, was less than pleased to see Peter up and about on his feet.

"Not that I'm touched, boss." He told him. "But take a seat at least. Let me take a look at you in a second."

"No, stay with Davidson." Peter firmly insisted. "Stefan can examine me in my tent. There's another kit in there."

Casting his expert medical eye over Peter, Gordon hesitated for a moment and looked as though he wanted to protest. But against the order and his boss' reassurance, he yielded to his superior's request. Discharging him to Stefan's care with a nod, he turned his attention back to Davidson.

The Doctor, however, was not so easily convinced and held out an arm as Stefan started to escort Peter away.

"Whoa, hang on a moment." He said. "Maybe Gordon should take a look at him."

"Doctor, I've completed my team medic course five times now. Which is five times more than you." The corporal told him. "Besides, Peter's mother is a nurse and my wife is a paramedic. Between my training and them, I know how to check for concision and a few bruises."

"Okay, but maybe I should -"

"Doctor," Peter interrupted. "Stefan can handle me. But these creatures need to be our priority."

"Creatures?" Rose stated, noticing the plural. "What did you mean?"

Quite seriously, the soldier pointed down at the dead creature.

"This thing didn't kill Tom Richardson." He said. "It has two fangs, not one."

He was right.

The jaw of the alien was still intact and it was plain to see that it still had both of its curved fangs. The one responsible for the horrific murder had left one of its in the throat of its victim.

"Another one did," Rose whispered, shuddering. "It's still out there."

"We need to go down into that cave." The Doctor stated. "Find it and the missing woman it took."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Peter stated. "But first, Doctor, I need to know what that thing is. Before I lead my team anywhere, I want to know what it is we're up against."

Sensing his opportunity, the Time Lord smiled at him.

"I could find out for you?" He volunteered. "Make myself useful?"

The lieutenant still didn't look pleased with the idea of him sticking around, but it seemed as though he no longer had a choice in the matter.

"Fine." He agreed grudgingly. "Just don't wreck my base any more than it already is."

The Doctor's smile broadened as he nodded.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

It was the first time the officer had asked him to do anything apart from leave, and he didn't want to give him a reason to change his mind now things were finally getting interesting.

But, as he watched Peter limp out the tent with Stefan, the Doctor already knew that examining the creature lying dead at his feet was only going to be the start of solving what was truly going on deep within the heart of the New Forest.


	7. Chapter 6

Thirty whole minutes had passed without the Doctor uttering a single word.

Rose was convinced this had to be some kind of a record for the Time Lord as she watched him examine the creature's huge body. It had been left where it had fallen, the head still oozing out dribbles of blood which continued to add to the growing pool on the muddied grass below.

Sat on a chair with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a steaming mug of hot tea pressed between her hands, she was finally able to feel warm again.

Only Kensington and Hart had stayed behind with them. The private was on guard duty and had loaded another bolt into his crossbow. He was under the strict instruction to use it should another creature make an appearance.

Kensington, however, seemed to be there purely to act as an understudy for his commanding officer.

Watching the Doctor with a critical frown, he did not seem overly impressed by the lack of progress so far and had made several scathing remarks to show his frustrations.

"Is this how you always work?" He questioned. "Do you even know what you're looking for?"

The Doctor had ignored him and continued to scan the alien with the sonic screwdriver.

"This creature is remarkable." He eventually declared. "Quite remarkable."

Setting her cup down on the ground, Rose left the warm embrace of her blanket and ventured over to him.

"What is it?" She asked. "What have you found?"

"This creature... Well, it's much more than a mere beast, now isn't it?" The Doctor stated excitedly. "It's showing all signs of being a metamorphic race."

"What does that mean? A metamorphic race?"

"They're shape-shifters, Miss Tyler. A species with the ability to change their entire outward appearance."

Peter Argent had appeared as silently as he had the last time.

"Full marks, lieutenant." The Doctor commended. "I see you're all ready to go."

Peter's clothing still bore the muddied marks of having been pinned down under the table, but he had finished putting on all of his protective gear, including his vest and guards. Essential equipment such as his radio had been clipped onto his belt, the large black box sitting beside a pair of folded handcuffs and a retractable baton.

Maybe he had the intention of arresting the creature?

Given recent events, it was unsurprising that the lieutenant was now even more heavily armed.

His handgun had proven useless against the creature, but it was still strapped securely to his right thigh. In addition to this, he had attached to his other leg the lethal-looking hunting knife that he had taken from his rucksack earlier.

Meanest of all, however, was the large shotgun he was cradling.

The barrel was much wider than on the rifles Gordon and Hart had been carrying and it was nearly double in length. The handle was as wide as his shoulder and only added to the powerful impression of the weapon.

"Mossberg Five-Nine Zero," Peter told Rose, seeing her staring at it. "Twelve gauges, firing seventy-millimetre shells at the velocity of four hundred and four meters per second."

Rose stared at him blankly.

"Powerful." The Doctor commented. "How are you feeling?"

The question prompted a slither of irritation as the lieutenant glared back at him.

He had been struck across the face with a metal rod but there wasn't a mark to show for it. Neither did he no longer seem to be in any pain from having a five hundred pound alien land on his chest.

But rather than bring it up again, the younger man instead brought the subject back onto the creature.

"What causes the change?" He asked. "How do they transform and what do they become?"

The Doctor shook his head apologetically.

"Sorry, but I would have to get up close with one that's alive to tell you that."

"Yes, and how are you going to do that?" Kensington remarked. "The boss barely got away without a scratch. I doubt you'll do any better."

"Enough, Kensington," Peter remarked. "We haven't got the time for it."

As though to prove his point, the rest of his team except for Gordon and Davidson entered the tent. All of them were fully geared up and as ready to go as their commanding officer.

Rose could sense the change of mood amongst the men.

The recent attack had almost resulted in the deaths of two of their own. If they were not already so, they were all now as deadly serious as the shotguns they were carrying.

Stefan was the last to enter and was carrying bulky rucksacks.

Silently, he went up and placed one at Peter's feet before rejoining the others as they all fell into line in front of their commanding officer.

"Stand up!" Becker suddenly barked. "At attention!"

They were already standing tall, but each man managed to extend by a few more inches as they stood rigidly to attention.

Waiting for a moment as he observed his team, Peter nodded his approval.

"Alright guys, relax." He said. "We all know why we're here."

Relaxing their positions slightly, the assembled soldiers responded in perfect unison.

"Boss."

"This isn't the creature that killed Tom Richardson." Peter continued. "We now also suspect them to be able to change what they look like."

"Yes, now what I think we should do is…"

The Doctor stopped talking the moment the lieutenant's thunderous expression turned his way.

"As I was saying." He continued, glaring at him. "This is a dangerous development, and now that they've resurfaced again it poses a real risk of a containment breach."

"You think they'll come for us again, boss?" Thompson asked. "Attack a second time?"

"Well, we're not going to give them the chance, are we?"

"No, boss." The soldier replied. "We'll stop them."

"Yes, we will," Peter replied. "I know it's been a long night, but we now suspect one or more hostiles are hiding out in a cave less than three klicks east of here. The primary is thought to still be alive. She is our priority. Stopping these things come second unless they pose an external risk."

"In other words, we'll teach them some manners," Becker added. "But this is done by the book. The attack on Davidson does not affect our professionalism in the field nor our ability to get the job done."

"Myself and Becker will be going along with Amell and Hart." Peter continued. "Kensington will hold down the fort here along with you Thompson so that Gordon and Davidson remain guarded."

"It's a pretty thin spread, boss," Stefan commented. "Just four of us going down to meet with these things?"

"We are two men down, yes." The lieutenant agreed. "Which is why the Doctor and Miss Tyler will be coming with us."

No one was more surprised by this than the Time Lord himself. Shock soon gave way to excitement, however, as a large grin split across his face.

"Really?" He asked. "Do you mean it?"

"How hard did that thing hit you?" Rose asked. "Thought you were all ready to toss us out of your tent?"

Peter's expression was fringed on the edges of amusement.

"It's not my first choice, believe me." He told them. "But the Doctor does have somewhat of a reputation for passive diplomacy that I could use tonight."

"Oh, do I? Well… yes, I suppose I do, don't I?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Doctor. It's a poor alternative compared this." Peter told him, indicating his gun. "But UNIT nor I want a bloodbath tonight. So it at least gives me the option of having you there to talk them to death instead."

The rain had finally stopped as the small group headed out into the night.

Above them, the clouds had parted to reveal an inky black sky sparkling with countless stars and a thin crescent sliver of the moon. It was still bitterly cold, however, as they made the unpleasant two-mile trek over to the cave from where the creatures had supposedly emerged from.

The two perfectly serviceable Land Rovers that could have gotten them over the rough terrain in a matter of minutes had been left behind as Peter had announced that they would be getting there on foot.

Rose's decision to question this had almost resulted in another fight.

The lieutenant had made it quite clear to her already that under different circumstances he would have never allowed someone like her to tag along on his operation. But he had wisely sensed that the Doctor wouldn't go without her, and he had not argued it.

But now he was acting as though she wasn't even there at all, and did not even bother to answer her until she asked him about the cars for a second time.

"If we're in a hurry then we should -"

"Miss Tyler, you do not have an opinion here." He snapped as her. "We're putting our boots to the ground and we are going on foot. So suck it up and keep up."

Determined to prove that she was no pushover, Rose had bit back her response. No matter how horrid he was to her, she was determined now to remain firmly in the thick of things.

Soldier or not, she was here to stay.

But now, out in this muddy and icy cold night, she wondered why on earth anyone would choose to do this as a job. The weather conditions were bad enough without the thought lingering over them that deadly aliens who could tear out an entire throat with a single bite might be lurking just feet away from them.

"They could be out there, right now." She said, shivering against the chilly wind. "Watching us."

"You can always go back to the TARDIS, Miss Tyler," Peter called over his shoulder. "It's safer there."

Rose glared at the back of his head as she felt her cheeks flush with anger.

He had such an imperious attitude. Just who did he think he was?

Peter wasn't much older than she was, but for some reason, he seemed compelled to treat her as though she were a little girl who had no business dealing with hostile aliens. But Rose knew that simply wasn't true. The Earth would have been invaded, enslaved and even destroyed ten times over without her and the Doctor protecting it.

More than once, they had been the only line of defence. Succeeding without any assistance at all.

Still, such squabbles were not important right now.

A young woman was trapped in a much more precarious situation. Unlike Rose, she did not have four highly trained soldiers and a Time Lord on her side.

Then again, she might already be dead. Slaughtered just like her boyfriend had been.

"Does his family know?" She asked, turning to Becker. "Have you told them what happened?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned. "Who's family?"

"The man's, the one who..." She couldn't finish her sentence as the sight of his mutilated body flashed across her eyes again. "Have you told them that he's dead?"

Becker looked down at her sympathetically.

Towering over everyone, he was very bulky and had a face worn by the weather that made him look ten years older than he really was.

But despite his outwardly scary demeanour, he was very friendly.

Aside from Gordon and Hart, he was the only one to have spoken to either Rose or the Doctor without giving off the impression that their presence was both a problem and an inconvenience.

"It's not the first time we've dealt with this kind of thing." He replied reassuringly. "All the proper steps will be taken."

Rose nodded and shrank back into the jacket she had been given. Her own clothes were completely unsuitable for this kind of weather and were even more useless for where they were now walking towards.

Hart's spare jacket and trousers may have been two sizes too big, but at least they were keeping her warm and relatively dry. Luckily, he had small feet for a man, and she doubted that she would have been able to come at all had the boots not fitted her.

The cave simply did not look big enough.

It was a small wonder how Peter had even managed to find it in the first place. There was even less chance of the creature who lived down in its depths fitting through the slender gap in the rocks.

"How the hell did that thing pass through there?" She questioned. "Can't possibly of fit."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Rose." The Doctor stated. "I think they can manipulate those slender frames to make themselves small enough. Twisting and unhinging their joints."

"Like a snake does with its jaw." Peter ventured. "They do that to swallow prey bigger than their head."

"Exactly! Not bad, lieutenant."

Peter ignored him as he set his rucksack down onto the wet grass.

"Right, Becker and Hart, stay here with Miss Tyler." He ordered. "Stefan, we'll take the Doctor inside."

"Excellent plan." The Doctor agreed, already stepping forward. "Oh, what?"

Stefan had held out an arm in front of him, preventing him from getting any closer to the cave.

"We'll scout it out first." He told him. "Just in case."

"Unless you'd rather go in ahead of us?" Peter added quizzically. "Of course, one of the creatures could be in there already. Just waiting for some idiot to go blundering in?"

Glancing down at the dark entrance of the cave for a moment, the Doctor looked back at the soldier.

"Right… Yes, I think on reflection maybe not." The Time Lord admitted. "You should go in first."

With a satisfied nod, Peter handed his gun over to Becker and drew out his knife. Stefan did the same, handing his weapon over to Hart.

"Right, Stefan," Peter stated. "On me."

"Boss."

Both soldiers then cautiously moved towards the cave and descended into the darkness, vanishing from sight almost immediately. A few seconds of silence followed, and Rose could see the tension on Becker and Hart's faces.

They relaxed, however, when Stefan emerged back out of the cave a few seconds later.

"All clear?" The Doctor asked. "What's in there?"

"See for yourself, Doctor." He told him, nodding in the direction of the cave. "In you go."

Accepting the torch Stefan was holding out towards him, the Time Lord stooped down and carefully made his way inside.

The size of the cave on the inside had not been understated. There was hardly any room at all, and it was only going to get more claustrophobic when the others joined them. But why Peter was so sure he had found the creature's home was also plain to see.

Claw marks had scarred the walls and ceiling of the small cavern, whilst an almost perfectly round hole dug by the same lethal nails allowed access into the deepest depths of the earth.

Squatting in front of it, Peter had his back to the Doctor but shuffled over slightly as he heard him approach.

"I should have found this place sooner." The soldier muttered. "Hours ago. I knew the woods weren't…"

The Doctor could hear it in his voice that he was genuinely angry with himself.

"Well, we can't get it right every time." He told him good-naturedly. "You still decided to check this place out. That's something."

"It's nothing if she's dead because of that delay."

"We'll find her." He promised. "So, where does this lead to? How far does it go on for?"

There was no way to see into the darkness, even with the aid of the torch he was carrying.

Before he had led them outside, Peter had thrust his own into Rose's hands and trudged off without another word. He had not carried one the whole way over, and even now refused to take the torch from the Doctor in order to catch a glimpse of what lay ahead of them.

Instead, he picked a small rock up from the ground and threw it through the hole.

Nothing but silence followed although he seemed to think otherwise.

"That's unusual." He whispered. "But not entirely a surprise."

"What is it?"

Peter ignored him.

Turning towards the entrance of the cave, he placed his finger and thumb between his lips and let out a low whistle which echoed out all around them.

Stefan came scrambling inside.

"Figured a way in yet?" He asked. "Can we just climb through?"

"No, it's not a tunnel." Peter replied "There's a sheer drop down with a pool of water at the bottom of it. Maybe twenty meters below us. Not too bad, we could even jump it."

"Let's get the harnesses on instead, mate." Stefan countered with a smile as he moved back towards the entrance of the cave. "Hart, bring the packs in."

Because of how narrow it was, Hart only brought in with him one of the rucksacks. The other was half pulled and half dragged inside by Rose.

The sight of her instantly irritated Peter.

"Miss Tyler, I told you to stay outside!" He snapped. "Private, get her back above ground right now."

"It's pouring down out there!" She protested. "Hart couldn't manage both -"

"I don't care if it's a monsoon! Maybe you shouldn't have come at all if you can't handle a little rain."

Crossing her arms defiantly, Rose stayed exactly where she was and made it clear to Peter that she was not leaving. It seemed to work because he did not argue back. But it was very horribly cramped now that there were five of them in the cave.

Frowning as Peter barged past her on his way over to the rucksacks, Rose watched as he pulled out a sturdy-looking climbing rope and harness.

Turning away from the lieutenant as he began to clip himself into his equipment, she crouched down next to the Doctor and peered in through the hole.

"What's down there?" She asked. "Aside from those things?"

"No idea." He replied quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the three soldiers. "But they're right to be cautious."

Trying to get a better look, Rose shuffled forward a little more.

"Don't get too close." Peter's sneering voice called out. "We wouldn't want you falling down the rabbit hole."

Furious as the lieutenant laughed at his own joke, Rose had finally had enough of his belittling attitude towards her. Rounding on him, she was ready for a fight.

"You know what, you really are -"

That was when she fell.


	8. Chapter 7

However meanly he had put it, Peter had been right about her being stood close to the hole.

The ground underfoot was slick and there was a slight downward incline that was impossible to see in the darkness. When Rose had stood up and twisted around to confront the lieutenant her legs had simply buckled from underneath her.

She found herself being swallowed up by the emptiness.

There was a flash of light as the torch she had been holding onto slipped out of her grasp and plummeted down ahead of her. Falling and falling, her limbs flailed uselessly as her arms clawed through the air in a desperate attempt of trying to grab onto something solid.

A hand reached out from nowhere and locked itself around hers.

The breath was knocked out of Rose as she came to a sudden, bone-jolting stop. Swaying there in mid-air as she reached up and clung onto the arm of the person who had just saved her life, she looked up to see who it was.

Her first thought was that it might have been the Doctor. But a pair of shimmering grey eyes instantly told her the identity of her rescuer.

Peter Argent's face was as red with anger as it was from the blood rushing to his head.

"What the hell did I just tell you!?" He bellowed down at her. "God, that was close!"

Despite his valiant effort, it was clear that his position was just as dangerously precarious. His climbing harness was only attached by a single carabiner clip. Without it and his other hand holding onto the rope, there would be nothing to stop them both from falling.

Suddenly, Rose felt as though she was beginning to lose her grip on Peter's hand.

"I'm slipping!" She cried. "Don't let me fall!"

Looking down, it was the worst possible thing she could have done. She could just about make out her legs as they swung out wildly. But beyond that, she couldn't see anything at all and it wasn't hard to imagine that a fall from this height would almost certainly prove fatal.

"Stop squirming!" Peter hissed down at her. "Rose, look at me. I've got you."

He had finally called her by her first name.

Rose found this oddly reassuring. She also knew that he was the single best person to be with her right now. The Doctor was many things, but superbly physically strong was not one of them.

Far above Peter, she could see a flurry of torch beams dancing across the roof of the cave, illuminating the hole she had just fallen through.

"Rose!" The Doctor's voice called out. "It's okay, we're going to pull you back up."

When his companion had fallen, the Time Lord had been stood right next to her. But it was Peter who had reacted first, diving in after her without a moment of hesitation.

He was already harnessed up but had not yet tethered the end of his climbing rope to anything and had tossed his lifeline to Stefan and Private Hart as he sprinted past them. It was a complete show of trust that they would be able to catch hold of it and be strong enough to take his and Rose's combined weight between them.

They were. But only just.

There was a horrible moment when both soldiers nearly toppled over and down through the hole after him as the slack pile of rope suddenly snapped taut.

Their boots scraped and slipped on the damp rocky floor, but they managed to find footholds just in time.

"Hart, move back!" Stefan ordered as he clung onto the rope, his face flushing red from the effort. "Sergeant, tie up the rope on that rock!"

Becker had come racing in after hearing the commotion. Being the strongest man available, he didn't hesitate in grabbing hold of the rope as everyone moved to pull it back. Finally, there was enough slack to allow the sergeant to secure it around a large boulder that was next to the entrance of the cave.

At last, it was safe for them to let go.

Catching hold of his breath, Stefan crouched down cautiously next to the hole and peered down.

"Line secure, Peter." He called down. "How are you doing?"

The effort it was taking for Peter to try and move himself up into a more stable position was obvious as he kept a tight hold of Rose.

"I can't swing myself up." He admitted. "Besides, I don't think the clip will take it."

The small metal clip was squeaking loudly in protest against the unusually heavy weight it was being forced to take. Every time he attempted to right himself, it sounded as though it was about to snap clean off.

"Lieutenant, we're going to pull you up." The Doctor added. "Nice and slowly."

"Yes, just don't…"

Rose looked up in alarm as she heard Peter trailed off and exhale out a deep breath. His face was beetroot red and she could see that he was blinking more often than was usual.

"What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." He insisted. "It's just the blood running to my head, that's all."

But it was making him dizzy and there was now the real danger of him losing consciousness unless he became able to put himself the right way up.

How long could he last? Would he unwittingly let go of her at any moment?

"Hurry up!" Rose called out. "He's struggling!"

"Peter, talk to me." Stefan's voice called out. "We'll get you out of there, mate. Just hang on."

"I'm not going anywhere." He joked back meekly. "Rose, how you doing?"

"Y-yeah.… I'm okay." She replied shakily. "Thank you."

"Just don't do it again." He replied with a smirk. "It's not good for my back. You're heavier than you look."

"Oi! What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not saying…"

A soft grumble echoed through the cave.

Then came that distinctive sound of crumbling rock as sharp claws made their way across the roof. In the darkness of the cave, it was impossible to see it but everyone instantly knew what was there even before Stefan's torch beam found it.

Peter and Rose were not the only ones dangling down from the roof.

One of the creatures was just perched just meters away from them, clinging to the rocky surface as easily as the bat it so closely resembled.

But it did not attack them straight away. Perhaps it was surprised to find its prey here in the depths of its home and so easily available to it. Slowly, it began to circle them. Inching closer and closer with every circuit, it seemed unsure about what to do next.

"What's it doing?" Rose whispered. "It looks -"

"Shush!" Peter cautioned her. "Sound is how it hunts."

Even as they fell silent, however, the creature continued to inch towards them. Its pointed ears were pointed straight at them as it advanced forward.

"It's still heading towards us." Rose hissed. "It knows we're here."

"Yeah, figured that out already thanks."

Glancing up, Peter could see his sheathed knife clipped to his belt just inches away. But there was no way to reach it without letting go of the rope or Rose.

The creature had paused to sniff the air with its elongated nose. But it was getting bolder in its movements now as its hunger and desire to kill started to win over any initial suspicions.

Rose could now make out the two curved fangs on either side of its monstrous mouth.

Slightly smaller than the one that had attacked the base, this second creature was also not responsible for killing Tom Richardson. But knowing that another was still out there was of little consequence when this one looked poised to tear them apart.

Far above, Stefan and the Doctor were watching helplessly as they trained their torches on the creature.

"Doctor, now might be a good time for that device of yours." The corporal decided. "Stun the hell out of that thing."

"What about the lieutenant?" The Doctor countered as he obligingly pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "You weren't so keen -"

"Shut up the pair of you!"

Peter's anger did not waver as he turned his attention back to the creature. Swearing under his breath, the lieutenant looked down past Rose at the sheer drop below them both.

"What is it?" Rose asked him. "What are we going to do?"

The wince on Peter's face told her that she wasn't going to enjoy what he had planned.

"Something it isn't expecting." He replied. "I'm going to drop us."

"What!?" She screamed. "Are you crazy?"

Stefan was also quick to voice his protests.

"What the hell, Peter!?" He shouted down. "This is no time to joke."

"I can't fight the damn thing and hold onto Rose at the same time." Peter hissed back. "If I drop us both then at least I can deal with it on the ground."

"You can't!" Rose pleaded. "You don't even know what's down there!?"

"Yes, he does." The Doctor's voice announced. "Rose, you can trust him."

"But, Doctor -"

The creature was almost upon them now. She could smell the putrid breath coming from its monstrous mouth, and the moment it decided to pounce it would be too late for them to do anything to save themselves.

Yet Peter's solution was to send them plummeting to their deaths instead?

"Rose, you're just going to have to roll with me on this one." He told her. "It won't hurt, I promise. Just fall feet first and try to cross your arms across your chest and keep your legs stretched out straight."

"Peter, it's a twenty-meter drop headfirst," Stefan called out. "You'll break your neck!"

"I don't have a choice!" The lieutenant growled back through gritted teeth. "Right, Rose. We'll go on my count."

With a deep breath, he carefully slid the hand he was using to hold onto the rope down towards the clip. Instantly, they perilously shifted down the line a few inches as the attachment almost failed to keep them fastened to it.

But then it settled again, and now it would only take one swift flicker of Peter's wrist to snag it off and send them plummeting down. "One..." He announced. "Two..."

That was when the creature lunged towards them.

Pushing itself away from the roof with its powerful limbs, it stretched out towards them as far as it was physically able to. The first part of it to make contact with the fresh meat on offer would be its horrendous fangs and claws.

But Rose and Peter were no longer there.

Screaming all the way down, Rose didn't even realise that she had fallen into the water until she was underneath it. Freezing cold and pitch black, it surged into her open mouth and instantly silenced her cries.

Then instinct kicked in and she blindly began to kick towards the surface.

Just as her lungs were threatening to burst, she broke through and gulped in fresh air. Coughing and spluttering, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she could just about see the rocky edge of the large pool she had fallen into just a few meters away from her.

The Doctor's voice was echoing down towards her.

"Rose! Rose, are you okay!? Are you hurt?"

"N-no, I mean... Yes, I'm fine." She replied numbly. "What about the creature?"

Treading water, she began to turn in all directions as she searched for the huge alien. Through the hole, the two torch beams could be seen scanning the roof of the cave for it. But there was no trace of the creature, and they quickly returned to where Rose was floating in the water, illuminating her like a pair of dancing spotlights.

"I can't see -"

"Never mind that!" Stefan shouted over the Doctor, sounding furious. "Where the hell is Peter?"

Rose felt her stomach sink as she realised that the lieutenant was nowhere to be seen. She suddenly recalled Stefan's final words of warning to his friend and hoped that they had not come true.

"I... I don't know." She called back up. "I don't know where he is."

"What do you mean, you don't know!?"

"I can't see him, okay!?"

Upon hearing this, Stefan shrank away from the hole.

The soldier's face had turned quite pale as the realisation dawned upon him that the worst had happened. But then optimism and his training kicked back in as he swiftly recovered himself.

"Rose, I'm going to keep my torch on you." He announced. "You need to dive down and see if you can see him. He might just be under -"

Rose's scream cut him off.

"What happened? The Doctor shouted. "Rose!?"

Not noticing the bubbles that had started to rise up right next to her, Rose had shrieked loudly as something had burst through the surface. Fearing it was the creature, she immediately began to kick out madly with her arms and legs.

"Ow! Stop it!" Peter shouted as he held up an arm to defend himself. "It's me! It's me!"

"Oh my god!"

Throwing her arms around him before she realised what she was doing, Rose quickly felt herself being pushed away again as Peter let out a sharp hiss of pain. His face was contorted with discomfort, and it was the righthand side of his neck that seemed to be the cause of it.

"Ah!" He winced, clutching his shoulder. "Ow, damn it."

"Are you okay?"

"Never better." He quipped, spitting out a mouthful of water. "You?"

There was still a slight undertone to his voice that made the enquiry spiteful. But Rose chose to ignore it given that he had just saved her life twice within the space of a few minutes and had been injured for his troubles.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. "But are you sure -"

Peter was no longer paying her any attention and was instead looking back up towards the roof.

"Stefan where's it gone?" He shouted up. "It made a jump for us."

"Gone for now." The corporal replied. "Scuttled back off to wherever it came from."

"Maybe it doesn't like water?" Rose wondered aloud. "Or maybe -"

"Maybe isn't good enough." Peter swiftly cut in. "It could be right under us for all we know."

His anger wasn't directed at her specifically, but the harshness in his voice had returned quickly enough to make Rose remember why she disliked him so much.

What kind of man was he that their lives had to be in danger for him to speak nicely to her?

"Well, I don't know where it is!" She retorted. "I was too busy falling and nearly drowning."

Peter turned to face her quickly enough to twinge his already sore neck.

"Oh, I am sorry!" He snapped back. "But let me tell you something, Miss Tyler. You had the soft landing!"

So he had hurt his neck in the fall. It was painful, and Rose might have ordinarily felt guilty over it given that she was the reason they had both been forced to make the jump in the first place.

But Peter's blunt rudeness was only making her angry.

"Did you even know that this pool was down here?"

"Of course I did!" He barked back. "Just didn't know the depth, that's all."

"What if it hadn't been deep enough? You could have killed us both!"

"Well, I didn't. I just saved your life! So maybe you should try acting somewhat grateful!?"

Turning his back on her, he began to swim for the shore.

By the time Rose reached it herself and managed to climb up onto dry land, she was trembling from head to toe as the icy temperature of the water started to take effect.

"Oh!" She gasped. "Oh…my god!"

For the moment she could do nothing but sit down on the ground and try to catch her breath as she continued to shake uncontrollably. A few feet away from her, Peter was already up on his feet and talking with his men on the radio as though nothing had even happened at all.

"Stefan, secure the rope and bring down the gear." He relayed. "There's a small strip of land at your three o'clock that you can swing onto."

"Copy that." Stefan's voice replied. "But what about the Doctor, he's insisting on coming down?"

Frowning, Peter looked down at Rose.

He was staring at her as though she were some persistent bug that he was struggling to swat away. She glared back at him, but it was all she could do right now as her teeth chattered from the cold.

"Fine. I suppose he'd better come down and retrieve his companion." He reluctantly agreed. "Becker and Hart, I want you two to stay up there, understood?"

"Understood, boss," Becker responded. "Still no sign of the creature?"

"It's vanished for now," Peter replied. "Eyes on though, stay alert."


	9. Chapter 8

It took longer than normal for Stefan and the Doctor to abseil down into the cave.

Peter had lost his harness somewhere down under the water, meaning that Stefan had to first come down with his rucksack and shotgun and then make a second trip to retrieve Peter's equipment.

Once on the ground for a second time, he immediately sent the harness back up so that the Time Lord could follow after him.

Rushing to unclip himself, the Doctor bolted around the edge of the pool to Rose as quickly as his sneakers could carry him.

She gratefully accepted a warm hug off of him.

"Are you alright?" He whispered in her ear. "You're not hurt?"

"N-no. I'm g-good." She replied, struggling to speak. "Just cold."

"You're in the early stages of hypothermia," Peter told her. "Here, put this on."

Bending down to reach into his rucksack, he quickly produced a first aid emergency blanket. Unwrapping the silvery foil-like sheet, he came over and draped it around her shoulders. Instantly Rose felt warmer as the insulating material prevented her body heat from escaping.

"Thanks." She mumbled. "But what about you?"

"Keep it on until you dry off." He said, ignoring her. "But don't get too comfortable. That creature is still around here somewhere, I'll bet it won't be too far away."

Though this was true, Rose was more fascinated by the fact that Peter was still not shivering even in the slightest. Stood consulting with Stefan, the lieutenant was dripping wet and seemed to be in no rush at all to dry himself off.

An unusual reaction that the Doctor had also noticed.

"You should put one of those on too." He told him, watching the soldier carefully. "You don't want to catch a cold."

"It's water, I'll live," Peter grumbled back. "But thanks for the concern."

Lifting his rucksack, however, he visibly winced as he slung it onto his back. Using only the left strap to carry it, this was further evidence that he was in more pain than he was letting on.

"You okay, mate?" Stefan asked. "I told you it wouldn't be a nice landing."

"I'm fine." Peter insisted. "It's just a bit bruised from the impact, that's all."

"A fall from that height, I'm surprised you didn't break your collarbone." The Doctor pointed out. "Or dislocated your shoulder at the very least."

"Don't worry, Doctor," Stefan remarked. "He's done this kind of thing before. Besides, his head is plenty thick enough to land on."

"Thanks a bunch," Peter muttered good-naturedly. "Still, at least it wasn't my fault this time."

Rose suddenly felt embarrassed.

He was right. It was her fault, and he had warned her about getting too close to the hole.

"Sorry." She apologised. "I didn't mean to -"

"It's fine." He told her. "Could have happened to any of us, I suppose."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Argent." The Doctor said sincerely. "For going after Rose. Not many people would have been that quick to react, or brave enough to make the jump."

Sliding his rucksack on properly now, Peter shrugged the heroism off with ease.

"Well, looking after humans is part of my job." He said. "Also you can drop the formalities, Doctor. I don't like them much when I'm out in the field."

The Doctor smiled at the younger man.

"Peter it is then." He declared. "Nice to meet you."

The soldier said nothing back, but he was looking far less hostile than he had a moment ago and it was a step in the right direction at least.

Scanning the cavern with his torch, Stefan was still not having any luck in locating the creature or where it might have disappeared to. The floor space of the cave was almost entirely taken up by the pool of water, and the only entrance looked to be the hole above them.

"I don't get it, where could this thing have gone?" He questioned. "It can't have just vanished?"

"It made a grab for us when we dropped." Peter reminded him. "It could have…"

The lieutenant's nostrils flared as he stopped talking and breathed in a deep lungful of air.

Turning on the spot as though compelled to follow whatever it was he alone had detected, he focused his attention squarely on an isolated pocket of the cave opposite the pool of water from where they were stood.

Snatching the torch out of the Doctor's hand, he pointed the beam of light in the same direction. "I don't think the creature is going to be a problem anymore." He announced. "Over there. Do you see it?"

Rose's heart skipped a beat when she saw the huge black mass of leathery skin. However, she quickly realised that it wasn't moving from where it was lying halfway out of the water, its upper half sprawled out on the rocky ground.

The blood surrounding it glistened in the light.

It had splattered everywhere and was slowly seeping away from the crushed remnants of the alien's skull. Meandering slowly down to the water, the gory remains were beginning to turn the pool a grim shade of scarlet.

Seeing this, Stefan rounded on Peter with a stern frown on his face.

"Didn't I mention something about you breaking your neck?" He asked him rather pointedly.

"Well, technically it smashed its head in. The neck looks perfectly fine." Peter replied, shrugging. "Besides, you know that I'm tougher than those things."

"Stupider and luckier, perhaps."

Smiling at his friend, Peter brought his radio up to his lips again.

"Becker, listen up." He reported. "The creature is dead, but there's at least one more of them to deal with. You and Hart double back to base and report to Kensington. Tell him I want two guards posted at the entrance of the cave until the situation changes. The first watch can bring one of the jeeps up with them."

"What about you, boss?" Becker replied. "Are you going in to take a look?"

"Yeah, we'll see how far we can get. The primary and the creature have to be down here somewhere. Leave the rope in place so we can get back out."

Hearing this, the Doctor grinned at spotting an opportunity for him and Rose to stay.

Ensuring himself and Rose left with Becker and Hart would almost certainly delay the lieutenant from setting off on his mission, something which they both knew he couldn't afford to do.

"Does that mean…?" He ventured. "Both of us, mind you."

"Don't make me regret it," Peter told him. "I'm still in charge. You do as I say, got it?"

"Sir, yes sir." He said, giving a little mock salute. "Whatever you want."

Peter rolled his eyes but did not retaliate. Bringing his radio up again, he began to relay more orders to Becker and Hart.

"Okay, we'll rendezvous back here no later than sunrise. That's in…" He paused to consult his watch. "Eight hours."

"We'll lose radio signal," Stefan told him. "This cave could go way deep and we'll be on our own."

"We don't have a choice. The primary has to be found tonight or I don't think we'll find her at all."

"Okay," he agreed. "Four hours there, four hours back. Sounds like a plan."

"Becker," Peter added over the radio. "Listen, if we're not back by dawn. I want you to contact Major Harrison at Southampton. His team is on standby and are ready to back us up."

"Copy that, sir," Becker replied. "Good luck to you. Rendezvous in zero eight hundred hours."

The radio fell silent as the two remaining torches above them vanished from sight.

Clipping his radio back onto his belt, Peter then tossed the torch he'd been holding back over to the Doctor as he began to check over his equipment.

His gun, knife and baton were all still there, and once satisfied that neither had been damaged by the fall, he retrieved his shotgun from where Stefan had propped it up against a rock.

"Let's get this done." He announced. "You all set, Stefan?"

The corporal nodded back confidently.

"Ready when you are."

Rose could see how much the two men were enjoying themselves. No matter what dangers came with the job it was clear that they both revealed in the challenges of it.

"You like this, don't you?" She ventured. "Doing this job."

Peter had a grin on his face she hadn't seen before. It was that most relaxed she had seen him be all night.

"Getting to hunt down monsters whilst saving the world?" He replied. "Yeah, I guess it has its perks."

"At least you're modest about it." The Doctor pointed out. "Still, with you two fine soldiers and us on the job it shouldn't be too much of a task, should it?"

Peter's smile faltered as he saw the Doctor pull the sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket.

"Put that thing away, Doctor." He ordered him. "It gave me a hell of a headache the last time you used it."

"It did rather, didn't it?" The Time Lord questioned. "I wonder why that was?"

Was he wrong or did a flicker of fear just cross the lieutenant's face?

Ignoring it for now, however, the Doctor did as he was instructed and pocketed the sonic screwdriver. Looking all-around at their surroundings, he began to search for a way they could venture further down into the caves.

"There's an opening this way. Come on."

Peter was pointing towards a slender passageway towards the far lefthand side of the cave. In the dank darkness, it was almost impossible to see without using a torch.

"Good spot." The Doctor admitted. "How did -"

"They're called eyes, Doctor," Peter replied as he strode past him. "You should try using them sometime."

Four hours of exploration seemed like an awfully long time for one cave.

But the longer and deeper they ventured made Rose feel more and more certain that they were going to run out of time. The creatures who had come to dwell in this underground world had greatly extended what was already a labyrinth of caverns and tunnels. Some were large enough to fit a house inside, whilst others were only able to fit one person in at a time.

No matter the size of each one, Peter and Stefan had made a point to search each of them meticulously.

This had slowed them down considerably, but the two soldiers knew they couldn't risk rushing their search and miss finding a clue that might lead them to their target.

After three hours of searching, however, there had been nothing to show for their efforts.

"This is getting ridiculous," Rose stated. "There's nothing down here."

"So far there isn't," Stefan told her. "There might be dozens of those things still waiting for us. There's one more for sure along with our missing woman."

"So we carry on."

"Until we find them both. Yes, we are."

Wiping her brow with the back of her hand, Rose grimaced as she felt the sweat lift off of her face and dribble down her skin. The air had become humid and muggy, enough to begin to make her feel drowsy and breathless.

Pausing to take off her denim jacket, she wrapped it around her waist over the top of her borrowed coat.

"Can we stop, just for five minutes?" She panted. "It's so hot down here."

Up at the front, Peter let out a frustrated sigh and consulted his watch.

He and Stefan had stripped down to their shirts and placed their protective vests back on over them. Both men were equally dripping with sweat, their faces and arms covered in a growing layer of grime and dirt from crawling into the smaller caves.

But they had not allowed the unpleasant conditions to slow down their relentless pace.

"We've been going for three hours." He replied, as though it were no time at all. "Sixty minutes before we need to turn around."

"That was before we knew how big this cave was." The Doctor pointed out. "If we turn back before finding this missing woman..."

"She's as good as dead." Peter agreed. "Fine, we'll stop for five minutes. No longer, understood?"

"Yes, sir." The Doctor replied, grinning. "Very good, sir."

He had barely spoken a word since they had begun their search, and it had mainly been Peter and Stefan consulting with one another on the possible route to take through the caves which had broken the otherwise silent march.

This was something the lieutenant hadn't failed to notice.

"Go on then, Doctor." He prompted as he dumped his rucksack down onto the floor and fished out his water canteen, taking a large swig from it. "Give us your theory. You're the expert here. What do these things want?"

"Could be anything." The Time Lord replied casually, scratching his head. "Hard to tell when you don't know anything about the species. They could have crashed landed here, the ship becoming buried underground from the impact. But all signs point to them only recently coming to the surface, given they've only just killed someone."

"There weren't any reports of a crash," Stefan said. "If they did, we would have heard about it. But why take someone down here, what could they gain from it?"

"Who knows?" The Doctor replied with a shrug. "For information, or as a hostage. Experiments..."

"Seriously?" Rose gasped. "She must be terrified."

"We'll find her," Peter reassured. "We're not leaving until we do, deadline or no deadline."

This was mainly directed towards Stefan, who nodded in agreement. They were risking more than a telling off if they deviated from their arranged turn around time. UNIT would think them missing in action and mount a rescue attempt, snatching away any chance of a peaceful resolution to the mission.

"It's a brave attitude to have." The Doctor acknowledged. "Can I ask you something, Peter? What brought you to UNIT in the first place? It's not exactly an average job, is it?"

"I wouldn't have suited an average job."

"No, you really wouldn't have." He admitted. "Still though, all those other options out there. Why UNIT? Why choose aliens and danger over everything else."

If Peter was thrown by the question then he didn't show it. There was a hint suspicion in his steely gaze, but otherwise, his face was impossible to read.

"There wasn't much to do where we grew up." He eventually replied.

"Where was that?"

Despite keeping the conversation light, the Doctor could see that Peter had retreated to his default setting of silent moodiness.

In the end, it was Stefan who broke the awkward silence.

"We're from Kent, Doctor." He said. "Milstead village, specifically. It's about twenty miles south of Maidstone. Very quiet, very rural. It's in the middle of nowhere."

"Sounds nice," Rose replied. "It must be a pretty place?"

"It's very boring." Peter corrected. "We both joined UNIT straight out of school. I did my exams and passed through Sandhurst. That was three years ago."

"Sandhurst?"

"Training college to become an officer." The Doctor told her. "Very prestigious and even more difficult to get accepted into. That's before you even start your training."

"Forty-four solid weeks of it," Peter added. "Not for the faint-hearted, I can tell you that much."

"Here's me thinking normal school was hard enough." Rose half-laughed. "What did your family think about you doing that? Do they know about the aliens? My mum didn't even know I was off travelling with the Doctor at first, not till I came back after a whole year away!"

Once again Peter did not look altogether keen on sharing details on his personal life. However, Stefan was only more than happy to keep the conversation going.

"There's just me and my wife at home, Rose." He told her. "Emma knows what I do, and she's okay with it."

"She's a paramedic, isn't she?" The Doctor remembered. "What a wonderful job to do."

"Yeah, she's amazing." Stefan agreed, smiling fondly. "But I've known that for a long time. Me, Emma and Peter all grew up together."

"Oh, childhood romance, was it?" The Time Lord cooed. "What about you, lieutenant?"

Peter's face was sullen at best, and he seemed to think that such a conversation did not belong anywhere, let alone in the middle of a military operation. With a scowl, he leant back against the rock behind him and said nothing.

"Peter, play nice." Stefan chastised him. "Come on, mate."

"You have files on us." Rose pointed out. "You know all about me and the Doctor."

"Very true." The Doctor added with a smile. "So... Come on, Peter. Handsome fella like you, there must be someone waiting for your safe return?"

With even Stefan waiting on him to say something, Peter looked as though he did not have much of a choice but to respond as he let out a long defeated huff of annoyance.

"Yeah, Stefan makes easy work of the whole marriage thing." He admitted with a shrug. "I've just got my parents, and as long as I come home at the end of a mission in one piece then they're fine with what I do."

"Military family, is it?" The Doctor asked. "It's in your blood, so you went out and joined UNIT?"

In an instant, the subject of conversation soured with the lieutenant. His brilliant grey eyes had lost a bit of their sparkle as his strong jawline tensed up from him gritting his teeth.

"No idea." He replied evenly. "I'm adopted."

Even the Doctor could not have missed the marred tone that sprang from his throat.

"Oh, right." He quickly apologised. "Sorry, I didn't know."

"Why would you?" Peter remarked back. "Still, it's nothing to be sorry about."

"Yes, I'm sure they're amazing people. Did you take their name, or..."

"Ha!" Peter barked out. "With a name like Peter Alexander Argent? Not bloody likely, no. There was a scrap of paper with it scribbled on when they found me. Not much of a start, but at least it was something."

Rose suddenly felt awful.

She had never really known her father, only briefly when she had travelled back to 1987 on the day that he had died. But she could have never imagined not knowing anything about who she was or where she came from.

"I'm sorry." She told him. "How old were you?"

"Three months old. Young enough not to know any different of course." He replied. "But it's like I said, there's no need to be sorry. My parents did a pretty good job… All things considered."

As the lieutenant had been talking, the Doctor noticed that he had been fiddling with his ring.

"You weren't just left with a name, where you?" He asked him, pointing at it. "They left you that too, didn't they?"

Peter seemed surprised by this observation.

"Yeah, they did." He confirmed. "How'd you know that?"

"Just a shot in the dark."

"Yeah, well it's not much of clue though, is it?"

"Oh, I don't know." The Doctor told him. "You could still find out? Ask around and see if you can dig up some more information?"

Peter shook his head at this.

"That's impossible, Doctor." He replied with some certainty. "Believe me."

"What do you mean?"

But Peter was already picking up his rucksack and swinging it onto his back.

"Look, I appreciate that we're getting on a little bit better. Sharing stories and all." He told him quite sharply. "But there's a missing woman who isn't going to rescue herself. Come on, break time is over."

For the first time, he maintained his hostile expression as he looked over toward Stefan.

Perhaps aware that he was being blamed for his part in the unwanted conversation, the corporal nodded back and picked up his rucksack.

"Ready to go, boss." He replied respectfully. "Rose, you can follow behind him. Doctor, stick ahead of me."

Hesitantly, Rose followed after Peter as he began to march off.

The Doctor hesitated, however, as he glanced at Stefan curiously. But the younger man said nothing further on the matter, and the Time Lord knew that years of friendship and secrets were not about to unravel just because he was curious.


	10. Chapter 9

The tunnel narrowed without warning.

Zigzagging at odd intervals, the path forward was only made all the more problematic by the large boulders and high walls that ran all the way down.

Peter and Stefan were immediately wary of progressing any further.

"I don't like this." The corporal muttered ahead. "Perfect place for an ambush."

Peter nodded in agreement.

"Eyes on. Stay alert."

"Copy that."

With the lieutenant leading the way down the tunnel, Rose was beginning to feel hemmed in as she and the Doctor remained sandwiched in between him and Stefan. There was room enough not to be forced into walking in single file, but the serious expressions on the faces of the two soldiers was enough to make her think twice about stepping out of line.

She shuddered at the thought of one of those creatures making an appearance down here.

Just as this idea crossed her mind, however, Peter came to a complete halt and held up a closed fist in the air as a signal for them all to stop too.

"Hang on." He whispered. "Something's not right."

Rose didn't dare ask what it was.

Twice now the soldier had proven capable of knowing something perilous was present before anyone else had. Sensing the danger through his friend, Stefan silently advanced past the Doctor and Rose as he brought up his shotgun and pointed in the direction Peter was looking in.

But there was nothing to aim at.

Peter hadn't lifted up his weapon, and there seemed to be no indication whatsoever that anything was even there at all.

Rose could no longer stand the tense silence.

"Is it another creature?" She whispered. "Or is it -"

"Shush!" Peter immediately hissed at her. "They hunt by sound, remember?"

They all stood and listened again. But there was nothing to hear aside from the odd droplet of water dripping down from the damp roof above, not to mention their shallow breaths.

"Are you sure there's one of them around?" The Doctor questioned. "You know, sound can echo off the walls and -"

Peter rounded on him, furious for the continued interruption.

"Yes, I am sure, Doctor." He snapped back. "Now shut up and let me -"

The single momentarily of lapsed concentration was exactly what the creature had been waiting for.

Its vantage point had been a gap in the rocks just above them that was no bigger than a football, and it was from there that the tiny clump of black skin and claws had pounced down from.

Stefan screamed as it landed on his chest.

"Ah!" He cried out. "Get it off!"

Still holding onto his shotgun, he accidentally squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

The boom of the Mossberg as it fired out the bullet sounded more like a cannon blast in such an enclosed space.

Had Peter been stood a few inches more to the left he would have ended up with a four-centimetre hole in his chest. Ducking instinctively as the barrel had swung his way, he covered his head with his arms as the wall next to him exploded in a shower of small rocks and dirt.

Almost as quickly, he was back on his feet and rushing over to help his friend.

The tiny creature was just as lethal as its fully grown counterpart, and already had a full set of miniature fangs and claws. Prying it off wasn't going to work and it might cause Stefan more harm should it dig itself into him any deeper.

Twirling his gun around like a baton, Peter struck the infant creature in the head with the butt of the weapon.

The alien was taken by surprise and let go, falling to the ground where it lay dazed by the heavy blow. Stefan immediately recoiled from it, collapsing against the rocky wall as he clutched his neck where he was bleeding from two large gashes.

Spinning his shotgun the right way around, Peter raised it and aimed the barrel straight at the creature as his finger wrapped itself around the trigger.

"Lieutenant, don't you dare!" The Doctor bellowed.

Peter looked up at him in surprise, his silver gaze meeting with the Time Lord's serious hazelnut one. It was followed by a glint of anger as, with a snort of annoyance, he lowered his weapon.

The infant creature had been knocked out. It was no threat to them for the moment and shooting it in such a state would have been a cold move, even if the alien had attacked them first.

With the soldier's impossibly bold eyes challenging him for a few more seconds, the Doctor watched as Peter's attention then swiftly shifted over to the stricken corporal.

"Stefan, you okay?" He asked. "How bad is it?"

Stefan's vest had taken most of the damage, but there were two deep cuts just to the left side of his neck. Wincing as he tentatively touched them with his fingertips, the corporal manoeuvred himself into a sitting position as Peter knelt down next to him.

"Ow, damn that hurts." He hissed. "It's just a scratch. Might need patching up though."

Until this point, Rose hadn't realised that she had been holding in her breath. Finally allowing herself to breath out, she eyed the two backpacks the soldiers were carrying.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" She asked. "I could -"

"Yes, of course we have one." Peter moodily snapped at her. "Why wouldn't we?"

Rose didn't feel the need to argue back this time. They had all been on their feet for hours now and it was hot down here. Topped with the constant attacks from the aliens and Stefan getting hurt….

No sense fanning the flames, she thought.

Setting aside his shotgun and slipping off his rucksack, Peter quickly pulled out a small white box. From it, he removed a bottle of antiseptic solution and a large square gauze pad.

Stefan pulled away the collar of his shirt in preparation.

"Remember, just press it on gently." He coached. "You don't need to strangle the bloody thing."

Peter smirked back as he poured the solution onto the soft white pad.

"Calm down matron. I've got this." He chuckled. "But it is going to sting."

Stefan bit back a yelp of pain as the covering was stuck over his wounds.

"Ouch!" He complained. "I said gently, Peter. You need to get your mum to teach you the art of a gentle application for next time."

"Mum isn't in the army, and I'm not a nurse." Peter countered, resisting the urge to grin. "Now don't be such a baby and get your feet."

Standing up, Peter held out a hand towards the corporal.

"Just because you've taken on one of the big ones," Stefan replied, smiling as he took it.

"Two of them, actually." Peter countered. "Plus this one we can call a… Ah!"

The lieutenant fell against the wall quite suddenly as he clamped his hands over his ears. Grimacing as though in tremendous pain, he had become unable to maintain his balance as a result.

Stefan was immediately at his side, holding onto him for support.

But the strangest thing was that there was no sound to warrant such a reaction, nothing that any of them could hear that would cause such discomfort. Looking around, however, Stefan knew there had to be something. His friend wouldn't have just begun to act this way for no reason. There had to be…

Turning around, he saw the Doctor. In the Time Lord's hand was the sonic screwdriver.

He was pointing at the unconscious creature, the small tip with flickering with a blue light despite the lacking of an audible signal.

"Stop that!" Stefan ordered. "Stop whatever it is you're doing."

The Doctor obliged at once and lowered the small metal device.

"Just making sure this not so innocent infant doesn't trouble us for a few hours." He explained. "Problem?"

For the first time, Stefan looked genuinely angry.

"Yes, there damn well -"

"Stefan." Peter quickly intervened. "Leave it."

Though still frustrated, his friend did not say anything more and turned away from the Doctor. Peter had recovered himself now and had stood himself up straight again. It was as though the whole thing had never occurred at all.

Rose couldn't understand any of it.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." The Doctor said casually. "Sensitive hearing, lieutenant?"

Neither Peter nor Stefan responded to this.

"But there wasn't any sound?" Rose pointed out when they failed to speak. "What happened?"

"Oh, there was a sound, Rose." The Doctor continued. "Sound is around us all the time. Just depends on whether or not your ears are tuned in enough to pick it up."

Still holding onto the sonic screwdriver, he began gently flipping it up into the air before catching it again. "For example, that sound you didn't hear just then was around sixty-five kilohertz in terms of frequency." He stated. "Impossible to hear for some. Painfully loud for others."

There was accusation in his voice now as he stared straight at Peter.

The lieutenant glared back but it was only for a moment. Then he backed down and looked away, his eyes travelling to the floor as though he already knew what was about to come.

Unsurprisingly, it was Stefan who came to his rescue.

"Doctor, we haven't got time for this." He told him. "Just put that thing away and come on."

The Doctor let out a long sigh of disappointment as he pocketed the sonic screwdriver.

"Oh, Stefan." He began. "I'd be let down by the lack of curiosity, expect I know you already know what's going on here. Don't you?"

"What is going on?" Rose asked. "What are they not telling us?"

She was beginning to feel very left out in the dark. It was an ironic conclusion given their current surroundings. Fortunately, the Doctor seemed keen enough to explain whilst the two soldiers were for now not doing anything to stop him.

"Yes, they have been rather secretive with us, haven't they?" He questioned. "Here's me thinking it was just down to you two being best friends. But then I thought, Rose, it was quite strange how on three separate occasions now the lieutenant here has to know that these pesky aliens were nearby."

Peter was scowling at the Time Lord again.

"I listen out for them." He said, making it sound completely obvious. "If you weren't busy yapping away all of the time, you might hear them too."

"Yeah, but my ears can only reach twenty or so kilohertz. Nowhere near as good as yours." The Doctor countered. "But you didn't just hear them coming, did you?"

Taking Rose's torch from her, he quickly held it up and pointed it straight at Peter's face. The soldier winced and immediately looked away, clenching his eyes shut against the harsh light.

"What the hell does that prove?" Stefan protested. "Doctor, this -"

"Not once have I seen you use a torch tonight, Peter. This torch I'm holding is yours, but you just handed it over to Rose without a second thought." The Time Lord carried on. "But I'm going to guess that's because the tapetum lucidum in your eyes makes it a bit easier to see down here."

"Translation, Doctor?" Rose asked. "What is that?"

"Sorry, yes." He replied. "It's a special light-reflecting surface right behind the retinas of the eyes. Helps you see in the dark, no carrots needed at all."

Though this was supposed to help her understand, it only made the whole situation more confusing. But as Rose grew more and more puzzled, Stefan was becoming just as increasingly irate.

"Will you just stop talking and -"

"No, I don't think I will." The Doctor retaliated. "Not until I've gone over everything. You could say I'm checking for any mistakes, Stefan. Wouldn't want that to happen again, would I?"

Peter was remaining stoically silent.

The tension in his strong jaw, however, showed a wave of brewing anger that might implode at any moment. He had been caught out lying about something big, and it was something that he didn't want becoming public knowledge.

Regardless, the Doctor continued telling them all about it. "But then again maybe we should start from the beginning? Your coat, lieutenant." He pointed out. "Now why didn't you take it out with you, or your gun for that matter? It's February and killer bats are running around, both of which you are acutely aware of."

"He said he didn't need either." Rose suddenly remembered. "Also, at the pool, you weren't even shivering. How come?"

"Oh! Very good, Rose." The Doctor cheered. "Still, perhaps Peter is right. Maybe he doesn't need either. Maybe he had another form of defence against the cold and against the monsters that no one else has. One that no one else knows about."

His expression then hardened as he took a step forward.

Stefan moved to step in between the Doctor and Peter as he approached. But his friend held out an arm to stop him and watched as the Time Lord came over, stopping only when they were a few inches apart.

"Not many people know what a metamorphic race is off of the top of their head." The Doctor then stated. "Not many people can walk away from a twenty-meter drop, headfirst I might add. Nor can they take a metal bar to the head without even so much as a bruise."

He paused, contemplating his next words. "Tell me, Peter. You're cleverer than most, I think." He continued. "What happens if you have a protective system of regenerative cells?"

Peter didn't answer him.

"Regenerative?" Rose repeated. "Like when you changed, Doctor?"

"No, not quite." He mused. "See I'd have to be dying for it to kick in. The lieutenant here can -"

"Enough!"

Peter bellowed out the single word.

But the Doctor wasn't intimidated, not when he was on such a roll. He liked discovering something new and it had become fun picking apart the clues as to who Peter Argent was.

"Then maybe you should stop pretending, Peter." He told him. "Stop lying to us and admit that you're not -"

But that was as far as he got.

Peter moved so quickly that the next thing the Doctor knew he was being pinned against the wall as the cold metal of the lieutenant's handgun barrel was pressed against the side of his head.

"Peter, no!" Stefan shouted. "Stand down right now!"

"Get off him!" Rose cried out.

But neither of them went any further as the Doctor shushed them and motioned with a wave of his arm for them both to stay calm.

"It's okay." He reassured. "We're all okay here."

To anyone else, the situation was far from okay. Peter still had the gun pointed at this head and he hadn't hesitated in using it before.

But the Doctor knew he wouldn't this time for one very good reason.

The lieutenant wasn't shocked or angry, he wasn't confused or bewildered. It was fear which had embedded itself into his brilliant grey eyes as a spark of previously light flashed across them. The Time Lord had thought that he had imagined it the last time. But now he was sure that the silver in his eyes did not always stay the same colour.

Peter flinched as a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Mate, step down," Stefan told him gently. "Lower the gun. He's not worth it."

Looking quite pale now as he seemed to realised what he had nearly just done, Peter obliged and stumbled away. He handed Stefan his gun as he did so, obviously not trusting himself to hold onto it for the moment.

Watching as the soldier turned his back on them, receiving a few whispered words of reassurance from Stefan, Rose felt a pang of sympathy for him amongst the rush of relief she had for him having not just shot the Doctor in the head.

Desperation and fear. That's all it was.

She had a very good idea now of what it was Peter was hiding from them, what he was prepared to kill for it not to be said out loud.

But where did it leave them now?

There was still at least one more alien to encounter along with the missing woman to find. They were running out of time if she was going to be rescued alive and well.

"We need to carry on." She found herself saying. "We need to find this woman and stop these things."

She was pleased to see the Doctor smile at her. Stepping away from the wall he took her hand in his and nodded in agreement.

"Yes." He said. "We need to do exactly that. Don't we?"

With Peter still turned away from them, only Stefan responded as the two time travellers looked their way.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He spat at the Doctor. "Are you just completely incapable of…"

He stopped himself, too aghast to come up with anything else to say. Instead, he turned to Peter and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

This small act was enough to make to Doctor realise how much damage his investigation had done.

"I'm sorry." He said. "Peter, I'm sorry. If you don't want to tell us… If you don't want to say… That's fine."

Rose found herself holding her breath again as they all waited to see how Peter would respond to this. Not moving for a moment, the lieutenant continued to stare down the tunnel ahead of them. When he did eventually speak, it was in such a whisper that the Doctor thought at first that he misheard him.

"You need to go, Doctor."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said that you need to leave," Peter repeated, turning around to face him and Rose now. "Go back to the TARDIS and leave me and my mission alone."

Without waiting for an answer, the lieutenant picked up his rucksack and retrieved his shotgun. Holding out a hand towards Stefan, the corporal hesitated only for a moment as he handed him back his pistol.

"Wait, you're just going to leave us here?" Rose realised. "Because if it's about -"

The small high pitched screech coming from the floor right behind her made Rose freeze in terror. Knowing she shouldn't but equally unable to resist, she turned around and looked down.

The infant alien had woken up and was staring back up at her, its whole body held tense like a coil desperate to spring back up. The tiny claws were turfing up the soil in preparation…

Rose screamed as it leapt for her.

She didn't even hear the bullet which killed it. But she did see the tiny creature explode mid-air and be reduced to a pile of burning matter in a split second as the shotgun blast cut through its small body.

With the barrel of his Mossberg still smoking, Peter lowered his weapon.

"You okay?" He enquired. "Did it -"

"N-no, no I'm fine."

Rose slowly managed to turn around and face him and was astounded once again how calm he was. She could have very well just tripped over a stray rock given the unflinching way he had just dispatched with the creature that was now splattered in pieces all over the ground.

"So much for you keeping it off our backs," Stefan remarked, eyeing the Doctor. "Or were you just making a point?"

It was the Doctor's turn to remain silent.

Peter was already turning to leave, his decision unchanged about them splitting up as he marched off down the tunnel without further comment.

Stefan remained behind only long enough to unclip his knife and hand it over towards Rose.

"What's this for?" She asked. "I don't -"

"It's just in case." He told her. "But you two need to go, now. Before he really loses his temper."

Risking the corporal's own wrath, the Doctor reached out and caught hold of the soldier by the arm.

"Stefan, look I -"

"Whatever you're about to say, don't." The soldier hissed, shaking him off. "Whatever you think you know, you don't. So leave it at that and for once, Doctor, do as you are told."

He then followed after Peter and vanished from sight.


	11. Chapter 10

Despite his shocking outburst, Rose felt that Peter wasn't entirely to blame for his reaction or the situation it had left her and the Doctor in.

She should have known that it was all going to end badly.

They had been unwanted from the start and it had resulted in several clashes with the lieutenant even before they had reached the cave. Topped with the maddening chaos and stress of the constant attacks from the killer bats, it was enough to drive anyone mad.

What they had just discovered had simply been the trigger.

Yet it was all still somewhat unclear to Rose what exactly they had stumbled upon. Suspicion and speculation were all they had thus far in uncovering the secret Peter Argent was willing to defend at all costs.

But their attempt at getting him to come clean had been handled appallingly and it had utterly destroyed any chance of Peter and Stefan ever talking to them again.

Rose couldn't help but feel bad about her part in it.

"We shouldn't have said anything." She said. "It wasn't any of our business."

The Doctor hummed in agreement.

"Yes… But aren't you in the least bit curious, Rose?" He then asked her. "Mind you, I've already got a few possibilities in mind."

"No surprises there," Rose said with a smile. "But he doesn't look any different to you or me?"

"There are a lot of species that do." The Doctor countered. "Or you look like them. It's all a matter of perception."

"So what is he? Or what do you think he is at least?" She asked. "I mean.. He is an alien, right?"

"Oh most definitely." He replied. "One hundred percent not human."

There it was. It had finally been said.

Coming from the Doctor, Rose could accept it as completely true. The Time Lord was far too clever to get something like this wrong. She just wished that Peter had trusted them enough to tell them himself.

"He was so scared about us finding out. But why, Doctor? What kind of species is…?" She paused as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Is he dangerous?"

The Doctor regarded her with a serious look.

"I think he's probably about as lethal as anything we've faced tonight." He told her. "But he's on our side and I doubt he'll be trying to kill us anytime soon."

Rose laughed at this.

"You sure about that?"

The Doctor seemed to have entirely forgotten that less than five minutes ago Peter had been stood with a loaded gun pointed against his head.

"Fear can bring out the worst in anyone. But he and Stefan are still going to need our help, whether they want it or not."

"They told us to leave."

The way in which the Doctor smiled back at her told Rose that he had no intention of going anywhere else but onwards. Quite deliberately, the Time Lord planted his muddied Converse shoe one step further ahead of him.

"Oh, Rose." He told her. "Whatever makes you think that I'm going to do as I'm told?"

To her surprise, Rose was made to wait a further ten minutes before the Doctor led them on down the tunnel after the two soldiers. Explaining that it would be easier for the moment to tail them and jump in if and when the situation changed, Rose suspected that it just provided an excuse to avoid having another argument.

She had to agree with it, however.

If it came down bumping into one of the creatures or Peter and Stefan, it was hard to tell which would be the less dangerous option.

But despite the Doctor's revelation over the lieutenant's mysterious origins, Rose had still not seen any solid proof that he was indeed from another world. Overall, the idea of it being true had just risen more questions than answers.

"So Stefan is human, and he knows that Peter isn't?" She questioned as they walked. "So does that mean that Peter told him?"

"Perhaps he did." The Doctor replied. "They grew up together, and it would make sense that Stefan would know out of anyone. It must be hard keeping a secret like that to yourself."

"But no one else knows?"

"Well, I suspect that his adoptive parents must know. I doubt UNIT are aware. He wouldn't be working for them right now if they did."

"Why? They let you work for them." Rose reminded him. "Even brought you to Downing Street, didn't they?"

"I kind of started it all though. Seems only polite that I get an invitation now and then."

Eventually, they came to the end of the tunnel they had been travelling on and were suddenly confronted with a choice as it split off into two separate directions. One travelling to the left, and the other toward the right.

"Which way did they go?" Rose asked. "Mind you, they're going to be so mad when they see us again."

"We're here to help, Rose." The Doctor reminded her. "Still, seeing as we have no idea which way they've gone, we'll just have to guess."

From out of his coat pocket, the Doctor pulled out a very strange looking twelve-sided bronze coin that was no bigger than the tip of his thumb. "Heads to go left and tails to go right?"

"Sure…"

Unable to distinguish one side of the tiny coin from the other, Rose watched as the Time Lord flicked it up into the air and caught it swiftly again as it came back down. Flipping it onto the back of his hand, he revealed which direction it had decided to send them in.

"Tails. We're going right." He said. "Let's go."

Holding on tight to the leather sheath of the knife Stefan had given her, Rose cautiously followed after him.

In the limited light the torch was providing it was difficult to tell where the next step would take them. But almost immediately, she could tell that they were heading uphill as she felt the ground under her boots begin to steadily slope upwards.

To her immense relief, the horrid humid air also finally started to cool and become much more bearable to breathe in.

"Do you think we're close to the surface?" She wondered aloud. "Maybe there's another entrance nearby?"

"Maybe. But then again… Oh! Look at that."

It was the biggest part of the cave by far.

Much like the cavern they had entered from, there was a large pool of water making up most of the surface area. Curiously, unlike the blacked depths of its twin, this underground spring had an underlining glow as though someone was just underneath the surface shining a very faint light up towards them.

The result was a pale blue hue that rippled and danced across the roof that made it possible to see without using the torch.

But it was neither this nor the impressive size of the cave that had made the Doctor gasp with excitement.

Emerging out onto a pathway several meters above the ground, both he and Rose had the perfect vantage point to observe what inevitably had to have been found sooner rather than later.

The size of the spaceship was hard to judge given that more than half of it was missing.

Currently the size of a small house, it was the shape of a flattened egg. Propped up on three legs, the main entrance might have once had a ramp in order to access it. With it gone, however, a running jump looked to be in order should anyone wished to have ventured inside it.

Despite the air not being as humid here as the rest of the cave, the damp conditions had stripped away most of the hull's unusual black colour, making it instead bright red from rust and corrosion.

But overall the ship did not look damaged. It had not crash-landed here, and most of the missing components looked to have been removed purposefully. It was this that allowed the Doctor and Rose to glimpse into the heart of the ship's interior.

"They came here in that?" Rose guessed. "What happened to it?"

"They've cannibalised it." The Doctor theorised. "Taken it apart. Bit by bit."

"Why?"

"In order to survive." He said before pointing at it. "Look at the shape of it, though. That's a twenty-eighth-century design. You can tell by the colour, everyone has black ships then."

"They're from the future?" Rose asked. "Then how did they get here?"

"I don't know, but the real question is, Rose. How did they get into this cave? There isn't a hole in the roof."

Rose looked up at the intact ceiling.

It was impossible for anything, let alone a craft of this size, to have come through without creating a massive hole in the roof above. Hadn't Stefan said there hadn't been any reports of a crash? But then again, this spaceship had come from the future. Did that make it a time machine?

As far as Rose was aware, the only one in existence was the TARDIS.

"So how did it get here?" She asked. "I can't imagine those creatures flying it, can you?"

"There was always the possibility of them being smart, Rose." He told her. "Just to be sure though, a quick scan should tell us -"

The Doctor had fished out the sonic screwdriver as he had been talking and was already pointing the little metal tube in the direction of the ship when Rose suddenly caught hold of his arm.

"Wait!" She hissed. "Look."

On the ground, one of the creatures had emerged from a small opening on the opposite side of the cave.

Walking more upright than the others had done, it was dragging a large bulk behind it whilst carrying something else in the crook of its other arm.

Having crouched down low to rocky ground avoid being seen, Rose watched it stomp over towards the ship, walking with an almost clumsy stride. Peering down as she held her breath, she caught a glimpse of what the creature was carrying.

Because of their black colour, she did not immediately recognise the two army-issued rucksacks and protective body vests.

Stifling a gasp of horror by quickly covering her mouth with her hand, Rose forced herself to hold it in and did not even risk removing her hand. To make a noise now would mean death.

Instead, she continued to watch as the creature easily reached up and lifted itself up and through the main doorway of the ship, disappearing inside only for a moment to deposit the stolen equipment before it remerged and headed back the way it had arrived.

Even after it had gone, Rose waited a little while longer before turning to the Doctor as she lowered her arm and opened her mouth to speak.

"'I know." He told her. "Not good. Not good at all."

The last time they had seen those same rucksacks and body vests, they had been securely strapped onto the bodies of Peter and Stefan. Now that they were not could only mean one thing. Something had gone horribly wrong and both men were in terrible danger.

The last thing that Peter Argent could remember was that he had been arguing with Stefan.

Well… It was more accurate to say that he had been the one having the argument whilst Stefan had followed after him and listened with his usual unwavering patience. The corporal wasn't one for shouting or storming off whenever the anger of a confrontation threatened to rise up like bile in the mouth.

It was one of the many reasons why they had remained friends.

However, all Peter wanted right now was to be left alone as they reached a fork in their way forward. Barely hesitating as he marched down the lefthand tunnel, he knew that they could always double back should they encounter a dead end.

Somewhere at the back of his mind, however, there was the growing unease that he was moving too quickly and was failing to keep up his observations of their surroundings. With such monstrous creatures on the loose, death could very easily be around the next corner.

But he simply didn't care.

Putting as much distance between himself and the Doctor was his only priority. That was his one goal for the moment because he couldn't and wouldn't stop to think about what the Time Lord had said… What it was that he had discovered…

No! Don't think about it, Argent. Just keep putting one boot in front of the other.

Consciously aware that he was ignoring Stefan, and more specifically the conversation that his friend was trying to have with him, Peter continued to ensure that he was at the front and keeping himself a few paces ahead of him.

"Peter, slow down. Just listen to me." Stefan told him, jogging to keep up. "Mate, listen. It doesn't matter that he knows."

"Doesn't matter!?" He barked back over his shoulder. "Of course it matters! You saw the way he looked at me. You heard what he said…."

"That doesn't mean anything. He of all people will understand."

Stopping so suddenly that Stefan bumped into him, Peter spun around on the spot.

"Oh, because he's an alien too!?" He snapped. "Yes, we're all part of the same club. Of course, he'll understand."

"That's not what I meant, you know it isn't." Stefan countered. "Just calm down, Peter. Take a breath, your eyes are starting to change."

"So what? Let them."

But he did stop and inhale in deeply, blinking a few times until he was sure that his eyes were back to their usual shade of silvery grey. Stefan had seen it plenty of times before, of course. But it had become a habit of his to warn Peter whenever that side of him emerged.

"Okay, fine." Stefan suddenly told him, throwing his arms up in apparent defeat. "Yes, he's not the same as you and might not understand what you are."

"Well, there you go! After all this time, I'm going to get found out."

Peter knew that he shouldn't be shouting, not when the noise could be attracting the attention of any nearby creatures. But old fears he'd had locked away for a while now had suddenly surfaced again, and he didn't know if he was able to put them away this time.

"Let me finish!" Stefan insisted. "Because he doesn't even know what you are yet. Besides, who is he possibly going to tell besides Rose?"

"He's friends with the brigadier!"

"Well, do you really think he'd do that? Rat you out to the world?" His friend reasoned. "Why would he? Because he wouldn't gain anything from it, and I don't think he's the kind of guy to ruin someone's life like that."

Peter said nothing in response to this.

Not once in over seventeen years of friendship had Stefan told him the wrong thing or failed to make him see reason despite his remarkable ability to remain steadfast in his stubbornness.

"Yeah, I guess so." He reluctantly agreed. "It's just... It's getting so hard, Stefan. Keeping it all hidden away and lying to people. It's like half of me is missing, and I… I just get scared that one day I won't be able to cope with that anymore."

"I know," Stefan told him sympathetically. "It's not fair and I know it makes you angry. The Doctor wasn't exactly sensitive about the whole thing either."

"Understatement of the century."

"But just remember, Peter. You don't have to do this alone."

Peter shook his head and looked down towards the ground.

"Thanks, Stefan." He told him. "But it's not what I meant."

Peter had never been able to sum up the words for it. But it was a feeling that brewed somewhere down in the pit of his stomach, rising up like a dull ache regardless of whatever comfort Stefan, Emma or his parents provided. It was the sense of longing for something that he wasn't quite sure even existed or not.

Clearing his throat somewhat awkwardly, Stefan tried to lighten the mood.

"In any case, the Doctor isn't as clever as he thinks." He told him. "He doesn't know everything about you. Not as much as I do, that's for sure."

Peter took the bait and smiled back at him.

"That's because you had a pretty big and very obvious clue as I recall?"

"I guess, but…"

It was the way Stefan looked straight past him that alerted Peter to the danger even before he heard the soft, rumbling growls echo down the tunnel towards them.

It was one of the creatures.

He knew that it must be stood very close to them if Stefan could see it. But the near proximity and narrowness of the tunnel was an advantage to them right now because it meant that the creature had almost no room in which to be able to avoid being shot.

"On my mark, I'll bank left," Peter whispered. "You'll have a clear shot."

Silently, he then mouthed the countdown and dove left towards the ground. Tumbling to the floor, Peter heard the boom of a shotgun blast as Stefan pulled the trigger. But almost at once, he knew the plan had only half worked.

"Damn it!" The corporal hissed. "I think I winged it. Hit in the shoulder."

He had not had the luxury of time to aim and the creature was already bearing down upon them even as he had taken the shot. Sensing the danger, the alien had ducked its head at the last possible moment and shrieked with pain as the bullet had clipped the very top of its collarbone.

Recoiling immediately, it had turned and fled the way it had come.

"We can follow it," Peter announced, jumping back up onto his feet. "It's bleeding, I can smell it."

"Well, get after it then!" Stefan told him. "Go!"

They both took off at a run and it was this that proved to be their mistake.

Even without the torch Stefan was carrying, Peter could see clearly enough to cut a path through the darkness. Stefan was able to keep up by following after him, but neither man was paying much attention to where they were putting their feet, and neither of them had noticed that the tunnel had begun to head downhill.

The ground simply fell away.

Tumbling uncontrollably headlong over sharp rocks and the hard, unforgiving ground, Peter was only somewhat aware that his rucksack was protecting his back as the world span all around him. His hands had instinctively dropped his shotgun in order to move up towards his head in an effort to protect it.

But it wasn't enough.

Trying to stop was impossible and any sense of direction was gone. Peter was never quite sure when or how he lost consciousness. He was still rolling as far as he could tell. It could have been a stray rock or possibly even Stefan's boot that proved responsible for knocking him out.

But one moment he was falling, and the next everything went black.


	12. Chapter 11

Tom Richardson stared down at the man that had been laid out in front of him.

Finding these intruders had become an inevitability. Two of his brothers had failed to return from their hunts, and now his infant cousin was also missing. The collection of weaponry that had been found along with them had provided one explanation for this, and it was not hard to imagine what might have transpired on their journey down here.

When his youngest brother had stomped in with blood pouring from a sizeable hole in his shoulder, he had known that they could not be far away.

Deciding they needed to be dealt with personally, he had followed his sibling out to confront them.

Discovering that they had reached as far as their ship had not come as a surprise. But it had been one to find them unresponsive and defenceless at the bottom of the steep hill they had quite clumsily fallen down.

It had taken a lot of convincing to prevent his brother from killing them both right there and then.

"No, Karugon, they might prove useful to us." He reasoned, speaking in his native tongue. "None of their kind has made it down here yet, not willingly at least."

"What would you have us do with them?" Karugon growled back. "They tried to kill me!"

"For one thing our natural form is unsuitable for this world." He replied. "Another is that they might have information we need. Now stop moaning and bring them inside."

Grudgingly, Karugon did as he was told and scooped up both men with ease before following after him.

Though their underground world stretched for miles and had done so for many centuries before their arrival, only a small part of it had been chosen to become their home.

The small network of tunnels and caves just beyond where their ship had landed varied in both size and height. It was this which had determined the purpose each of them now served as, and it was one of the smallest spaces available to them which had been transformed into their medical facility.

What little room there was available had been given over to the large examination table that had been salvaged from their ship.

It was a cold and hard unforgiving slap of metal that had never been used by any of them. Not even their aunt had requested it upon giving birth to her child not so long ago, choosing instead to lie down on the floor next to it.

But it had always been an effective tool whenever a prisoner was taken.

Dropping their latest captives on the ground, Karugon made fast work of removing their bags and armour with his large claws. Sneering at how easily he was able to slice through the material, he held up one of the torn vests so his brother could see it.

"Did they think this was enough to protect them?" He laughed, tossing it aside. "A pathetic race, Kalagan. Why would you elect us to become them?"

But Kalagan did not share his brother's humour.

"Do you think we have much of a choice right now?!" He growled. "We've been down here for months already and are running out of time."

"Yes, brother," Karugon mumbled back. "I just meant that -"

"Just secure them and put all of their weapons down on the table over there."

Karugon nodded and proceed to remove what the two men had been carrying on them.

It was a curious collection and he couldn't resist looking at each of the items in detail. Perhaps he would get to keep one or two of them after they were done. Karugon enjoyed learning about the different species they encountered, even if it was just a method of survival.

There was a large knife and a pair of metal sticks that folded away neatly into small cylinders. But it was the smaller and heavier weapons strapped to the legs of the men that caught his attention the most. They were sat in protective pouches, but pulling them out he saw a handle at one end and a round hole at the other.

There was a curved piece underneath the main body. It was encased within a thin square strip of material that looked to be there to prevent the user from accidentally knocking it against something.

"This is what they used to hurt me." Karugon realised. "This hole bears the same mark as my shoulder."

Kalagan smirked at his brother's ignorance.

"I believe it's called a firearm." He told him. "You were too young to remember our visit to the planet Tririnus. The people there had them too. But something as small as that one won't hurt us. Perhaps they had a larger version and dropped it during their fall."

"I could go and look for it?"

"Later, Karugon. For now, you can do as I've already asked. Secure them now, before they wake up."

Marvelling at the weapon one last time, Karugon reluctantly set it back down on the table and turned his attention back to their prisoners.

"Which one do you want?" He asked. "Are you going to question them both?"

"That depends on which one wakes up first. But he will do for now."

Kalagan pointed at the dark-haired man and watched as Karugon yanked him up and dropped him unceremoniously onto the examination table, strapping him down tightly to it. His sibling then dragged the other over to the cabinet stood against the rear wall where he tied the man's hands around one of its legs with a spare strap he had found in one of the drawers.

"What now?" Karugon questioned once he was done. "How long until they wake?"

"I'm not sure." He replied. "But take everything but the weapons back to the ship. Then come straight back here."

"What about -"

"Don't you dare disturb her with this. Not until I've finished with them." Kalagan ordered. "Understood?"

"Fine, just don't start without me." His brother obliged. "I won't be long."

It was only when Karugon had gone, taking the seized equipment with him, did Kalagan turn back to the table and to the man lying upon it.

Before this, he had only encountered two examples of this planet's inhabitants, one of which he now resembled so perfectly. Even so, it was not difficult to see that this one was physically stronger than his current form was. Braver too if he had come down here of his own free will.

But there was another reason why Kalagan had chosen him over the other to question first.

This species was weak given that they had so easily hurt themselves. The second man, the one tied to the foot of the cabinet. His face was covered in small cuts and bruises, his left eye blackened and swollen amongst a thin trail of blood that was trailing from a gash just above it.

There was a medical covering on his neck too, a tell-tale sign that he had encountered some of their family recently but that he had been fortunate in not quite having his throat torn out.

This was not the case with the first one.

It was very strange indeed that, having fallen down the same incline, the man before him had nothing but dirt and sweat upon his skin. He smelt of blood, and there were tiny dried flakes of it amongst the grime. So either he had gotten the other man's blood on him or…

But surely the lacking of any injuries meant that he had not bled himself?

"Perhaps you are not so weak?" Kalagan mused, smiling. "I can't wait to find out."

Slowly, Peter felt his senses return to him as he fought through the dizzying darkness of unconsciousness. The back of his head was throbbing in sharp, painful bursts and he could hear his own heartbeat pulsing through his ears.

Then he heard three more hearts and knew he wasn't alone.

One had to belong to Stefan, but he could not account for the other two. If the Doctor and Rose had explicitly defied his orders and followed after them then that would make them collectively one heart too short.

Also, he highly doubted that the Time Lord would have come without his companion.

Then the metallic tang of blood wafted up into his nose and Peter knew that his current situation had just gone from bad to worse as he tried to sit up and open his eyes.

He regretted it almost at once.

Even this small amount of movement was impossible. It was all fuzzy and far too bright, his head was swimming so much that he knew he was going to be sick if he tried to carry on any more.

Where was that light coming from? Why was there any kind of lighting down here when the creatures were almost blind and used sound to find their way around?

Groaning in protest, Peter shut his eyes and allowed the darkness to envelop him again.

Karugon's anger towards the two prisoners had wained slightly since his return. Now they were at his and Kalagan's mercy, however, his curiosity and anticipation had spiked. This was especially so when the man laid out on the table had shown signs of waking up.

"He's coming around."

Kalagan had noticed this too and approached the table, standing right next to it so that he would be easily seen. Waiting only a moment longer, he leaned over and spoke.

"Can you hear me?" He asked softly. "Do you understand me?"

A voice that Peter did not recognise was what roused him for a second time. He was conscious enough to register that it was a male tone and English speaking. Were they talking to him? If so he didn't know them and given where they were that was enough to immediately put him on edge.

Opening his eyes again, the face of a ghost swam into view.

"You?" He croaked. "That's..."

He stopped himself only because it wasn't impossible. Tom Richardson might be lying dead in a muddy field, but that did not mean that he could not also be standing here in front of him as he was right now.

A metamorphic race.

That was what the Doctor had called these creatures. It felt like a lifetime ago, but now Peter could at least confirm that one theory had been proven right tonight. The figure stood over him was a carbon copy of the murdered man.

"Who are you? How did you get here?"

Peter wasn't deceived by the gentle tone. He could feel the thick leather straps that were pinning his wrists and ankles down to the table he was laid on. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the creature Stefan had injured. It was stood a few feet away, crouched down on all fours like some overgrown pet.

This was no idle chat. It was an interrogation.

Immediately Peter refused to panic and thought back on his training. UNIT and the British Army had prepared him for this and he could hear the voice of his drill sergeant instructing him even now.

His words were his only weapon and his life was going to depend on what he chose to do with them.

Negotiating with a huge alien creature was not something anyone could ever be prepared for, of course. But Peter also knew the importance of keeping the situation as calm as possible. In other words, he had to rationalise it. Even humanise it to a certain extent.

Then he remembered that Stefan had been with him.

Peter knew that his friend was close by and alive. He could hear his heartbeat even now, but he did not dare to begin to try and look around for him. Doing so now would only give the creatures a source of leverage that could be used against him.

Instead, he stared back at the dead man's face with a cold and calculated glare.

"You first." He told him. "Because I know that you're not Tom Richardson."

"Oh, aren't you clever?" He replied, sounding impressed. "You're not deceived at all, are you?"

"It's hard to be when I know the real one is lying dead in a field with his throat torn out."

"Yes, perhaps I did get a little over-excited. It's been so long since I've hunted, I forgot how little blood is required for us to transform."

Peter absorbed this new information and had noticed that his captor was missing a tooth. It was he who had killed Tom Richardson so violently, so without mercy. All for what, his appearance? That couldn't be the only reason. There was something else going on here, he was sure of it.

"Well, you certainly got enough of his." He quipped. "We found your tooth by the way."

"Is that so? You and your friend, was it?"

Peter watched as the alien circled around to the other side of the table. Turning his head to follow him, Peter was now looking at the back of the cave where a large cabinet was stood.

That was when he saw Stefan.

The corporal was sat slumped up against it with his hands bound behind his back. Unconscious, bloodied and bruised, it told Peter that the severity of their fall had been as bad as it had felt. But he was still breathing, and that was the important thing.

"What do you want?" He hissed in response. "Because if you think -"

"Save your threats." The disguised creature told him. "We have not harmed either of you and do not wish it just yet."

It wasn't hard to miss the hint of hostility in his tone, and Peter responded in kind. Regardless of his current situation, he was here to do a job and he was going to get some answers.

"What about the girl you took, have you hurt her?"

"I was not responsible for that. But I am guessing that is why you are here?"

"Yes, and I want to know if she's still alive." He bit back at him. "Where is she?"

The wounded creature suddenly growled something angrily in a language that Peter did not understand and stomped angrily towards him. But he was swiftly saved, however, when the other held up a finger to stop it from coming any closer.

"My brother is not happy that you attacked him." He explained. "I stopped him from killing you both."

"Do you want me to thank you? When you've killed one innocent person and kidnapped another?"

"Perhaps I am owed your name at least?"

Knowing any information he gave might put any number of lives at risk, Peter hesitated. But then again, his name was of no consequence, was it?

"Lieutenant Peter Argent." He admitted. "What about you, Tom? Who are you really under that human skin?"

"My name is Kalagan. This is my brother, Karugon."

"Well, I can't say it's a pleasure." Peter countered. "Family affair, is it? How many of there are you?"

Kalagan's face twitched at this, and it quickly became apparent that the time for exchanging pleasantries was over. Peter tried not to flinch when he suddenly leaned down over him and drew in a deep, lingering breath.

"Perhaps you know better than I, lieutenant?" The alien questioned. "It is strange. I've seen the female you speak of, and you are nothing like her."

Peter almost dared to laugh at this.

"I can think of a few major differences between me and a girl." He told him. "Do you need me to explain them to you?"

"No," Kalagan replied. "That won't be required."

Without warning, he struck him across the face with the back of his hand.

The blow was not enough to knock him out, but Peter's head spun from the force of it and he could taste blood in his mouth. But he barely had time to register this before Kalagan's hand wrapped itself around his jaw.

There was a small cut on Peter's lip, and it was this that Kalagan seemed to be marvelling at as he gently ran his thumb across it. "Just as I suspected." He mused. "How interesting."

Though the wound itself was tiny and had produced little blood, any trace of it had vanished entirely within seconds of Kalagan lifting his thumb away. It was as though he had never hit Peter in the first place.

"Whatever you're planning," Peter began. "It won't work."

But he already knew from the way Kalagan was smirking down at him that there was nothing he could say or do to prevent what was about to happen. Whatever information the creatures wanted from him, they were willing to do anything to get it.

Even worse, they might have just figured out a way in which they could obtain it.

"How will you stop me, lieutenant?" Kalagan cooed with delight. "Besides, we have yet to find out what it is that you really are. I intend to find this out, of course."

Suddenly Peter was back in front of the Doctor, having the same argument that had put him here in the first place. Why was everyone so interested in finding out about him tonight?

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do." The alien whispered back. "I can smell it on you."

Peter felt the words get stuck in his throat.

These creatures might be blind but it should have been assumed that they had a superb sense of smell. It was essential for hunting down their prey, and there was little doubt in their ability to sniff out even the faintest of scents.

Anger flushed into Peter quite quickly, straining against the straps holding him down.

"I don't care what you want. I'm not telling you anything."

"How brave of you." Kalagan laughed. "Perhaps I should take your shape? But then again, I might be generous and give it to my brother instead?"

"Is that why you're doing this?" Peter asked. "So you pass yourself off as us?"

"It is more than your appearance we take." The alien corrected him. "Much more."

"What do you mean? What else can you possibly get out of drinking someone's blood?"

Though Kalagan's face was human, it had never looked more alien. He was grinning maniacally like a child who wanted to see how wide his mouth could go. His fingers were constantly twitching as though the claws hidden within were itching to be used.

"Our race has a very short lifespan. So we must take what we can from other species. He told him. "Imagine, being on the brink of death only to become reborn again. Able to live for years and even decades more."

"At the price of becoming those same people." Peter rebuked. "You're human now, aren't you?"

"In all but the senses I require to hunt." He confirmed. "Though this body can see far better than I ever could. Even if it is only with the aid of these lights."

So that was why the cave was lit up. These creatures had become other species before and had required aid in seeing their lair once transformed. Peter wondered how many times they had done this already, how many stolen lifetimes they had already lived.

"But you don't just stop at one form, do you?" He accused. "Every time you want an upgrade or a few extra years on the clock, you'll just go out and spill more blood."

Almost every hostile alien he had encountered in his career had the same thing in common. Whatever their intentions had been it was their ambitions which had always pushed them too far, regardless of how justifiable they had made them seem.

An innocent man had still been murdered and his girlfriend had been snatched away. All to fulfil these creature's lustful desire for blood and a life that was beyond their limitations.

"Perhaps you are right to judge us." Kalagan considered. "But speaking of upgrades. Karugon, will this one be sufficient for you?"

Peter's heart skipped a beat as he watched the colossal alien stomp towards him, its drooling mouth parting to reveal its monstrous fangs.

"Get the hell away from me!" He shouted. "Don't you dare!"

Was it going to bite into his throat? Peter didn't want to die that way, just another corpse left behind by this vicious set of brothers. What made it all the worse was that Karugon was going to look like him. That could be disastrous in itself should he try and pass himself off as him.

Forget staying calm and forget all of the training, Peter wanted out of this mess right now. With all of his strength, he pulled against the straps holding him down as the creature's long claws reached out for his skin.

The leather bindings groaned in protest and he could feel the buckle holding them to the table beginning to bend as he fought for freedom. Just a few more seconds and he would have…

It was too late.

Agony shot through Peter like a bolt of lightning as Karugon used a single claw to slice down the length of his arm. Biting back the cry of pain, he felt sick as the alien leaned down and began to feed on his blood, sucking and lapping it up like some kind of horrifying vampire.

Unable to endure it any longer, he passed out into oblivion.


	13. Chapter 12

Rose had decided that this cave was never going to end.

Each time she had thought it might there was another twist, another turn or yet another tunnel that stretched on into the darkness. They had already travelled miles upon miles and they might have to go on the same distance again.

After the Doctor had led the way past the dismantled ship and along the narrowed path, their route had travelled downhill to an opening so low to the ground that it had to be crawled into on their hands and knees.

"Careful, Rose." The Doctor cautioned. "Just take it slowly."

"Why can't we just go around?" She questioned. "Take the other tunnel?"

"Because Peter and Stefan took that one."

"Exactly, they're in trouble. We have to help them."

"We are going to help them. But we can't do that if we get caught ourselves." He told her. "Look at the size of this tunnel. Either that baby creature dug it or they don't know it's here at all."

"So where does this lead to?"

"Right into their lair, I reckon. The same place they'll have taken their prisoners."

Rose flinched at the word.

The idea of Peter and Stefan being at the mercy of those creatures was too horrible to contemplate. They could already be dead, their throats torn out just like poor Tom Richardson's had been. But Rose refused to believe this was their fate. After all, they had gone through and how capable she knew the two soldiers to be, she had to remain hopeful that she would see them both again.

Especially seeing as there were so many questions that remained unanswered.

"Any idea yet, Doctor?" She began. "Do you know what kind of alien Peter is yet?"

"You mean species, Rose. Remember that alien doesn't always mean none human." He corrected her. "But to answer your question, I'm still narrowing down the options and… Oh! Look at this."

The tunnel had ended at a hole in the wall just a few meters above the ground of a small cave.

But this space was not some empty and dank gap in the rocks. It had been made into a liveable home and solved the mystery as to where at least some of the creature's ship had ended up.

It was like a crude parallel to the base Peter's team had set up. A large table and a bench was running alongside it, both of them made of metal and quite simple and functional in their design. Panels from the ship's hull had been used to line the walls, covering the rocks. Alternatively, some pieces had been flipped onto their sides so that they could be used as shelves.

Jumping down from the hole, something sat upon the table caught Rose's eye.

Shaped like a cone, the metal object was about the length of her forearm. Part of it had been cut away, however, so that a spiralling pattern curved down its side.

She was shocked to realise that it might just be an ornament.

These creatures were intelligent life-forms and not the mere monsters that they appeared to be. Picking it up and examining it for a moment as her fingers brushed over the grooves, she carefully set it down again and took another look around the cave.

"They've been living here." She said. "They're stuck here so they've made it their home. Decorated it and everything like a proper house."

"Must have been desperate to tear apart their ship." The Doctor mused. "But this can all wait for now. We need to find our missing soldiers. If anything's happened to them…"

"They'll be okay, Doctor," Rose responded. "They have to be."

The Doctor nodded at this but his brow was still creased into a frown.

"Even so, they're UNIT and that makes them my responsibility." He told her seriously. "Especially when they're in danger."

"Try telling them that." She reminded him. "Peter wanted rid of us pretty quickly."

"He just doesn't trust us yet. Hopefully, we're not too late to remedy that."

Walking out of the cave, they found themselves standing in a hallway of sorts. Crude doorways led off into other small caves and tunnels that had been converted into more rooms and corridors.

But perhaps even stranger than finding the ornament was the discovery of lights that had been strung up along the walls.

"I thought they couldn't see?" Rose quizzed upon spotting them. "Why bother putting lights up?"

"In bat form, they won't be able to see." The Doctor explained. "But remember that I said that they had the biological traits of a metamorphic race?"

Rose remembered Peter explaining to them what that meant.

"They can change what they look like." She remembered. "Become something else."

"They must take on traits of their victims too. Blend in on whichever world they land on." He continued. "But why, though? What do they get from doing that?"

"Doctor, how are we going to find them?" Rose questioned. "There's no way of telling which way they went."

"Yes, we could have done with Peter's super-duper hearing right now, couldn't we?" He said, smiling. "But this works just as well."

Pulling the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, he began to gently wave it up and down through the air as the little metal tube started to buzz and whirr softly. Quickly, the movements concentrated and the Time Lord soon had it specifically pointed toward one of the tunnels.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, seeing him smile. "What is it?"

Without explaining his actions, he took hold of her hand and pulled her after him.

"Come on. This way."

Peter had no idea how long he had been unconscious for. He doubted that it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes even though it could have just as easily been hours. Sick and dizzy from having the blood sucked out of him, he tentatively lifted his head to see where the deadly alien siblings holding him captive had gone.

That was when he saw himself, stood at the foot of the table along with the stolen form of Tom Richardson.

It was the most peculiar thing to see his own face outside of the confines of a photograph or a mirrored reflection of a mirror and it took Peter what felt like an eternity to accept what he was seeing.

There was not one imperfection in Karugon's new form.

He was looking at a twenty-three-year-old man with messy black hair, sterling grey eyes and a face framed by a strong jawline. The alien was even dressed identically to him, the black clothing dishevelled in the same way as his own was.

Peter doubted that his mother would have been able to tell them apart.

"Quite unnerving, isn't it?"

Kalagan had spotted him staring and smiled triumphantly as he walked over to him. Stooping down so that he was now level with Peter's head, he looked somewhat amused as he relished in his captive's confusion.

"I've seen stranger." Peter bit back. "Far stranger."

"I'm sure that you have." He replied. "Coming from a world beyond this one. You must have seen all manner of things."

"Where is your world, lieutenant?" Karugon quickly added. "Where are you from?"

Peter felt his blood run cold.

Having his voice stolen too was bad enough. But there was no questioning now that the creatures were getting close to finding out what he was. Then it dawned upon Peter what they had told him. If these creatures took on the biological traits of their prey as well as their appearance, did that mean that Karugon now had the ability to…

"If you're me, can you..." He started to say. "You can't possibly..."

But Peter shut himself up the moment he saw Karugon frown at him. The alien did not yet fully understand the body which he had inherited and it was fortunate that he hadn't already discovered for himself its abilities.

Fortunately, Kalagan seemed to have no interest in discussing the matter further.

"Never mind that." He snapped. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Peter recoiled in disgust as he came nose to nose with the dead man's face. He could smell the repulsive stench of blood and human flesh still lodged between his teeth, and nearly gagged on it.

"What do you want from me?" He questioned through gritted teeth. "You already have my face, my lifespan. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Oh but we still know nothing about you," Kalagan told him. "I fear that your presence here and my missing family are connected."

Peter said nothing about this.

If they learned that their three relatives were dead because of him and his team then they would not hesitate in killing both him and Stefan as punishment for it.

"You want to know about me?" He asked, deliberately casual. "Why? I'm nobody special."

It was another lesson to be learnt about surviving an interrogation. Treating the whole thing as a normal conversation would relax the situation somewhat and make it less unpredictable. At the very least would buy him some more time.

"I told you that we retain our ability to sniff out our prey," Kalagan told him. "We can also use it to detect one another once transformed into the natives of any world we come to. Regardless of what we end up looking like."

"Big deal." Peter retorted. "You're not the only ones with a good nose."

"But imagine my surprise, lieutenant." The alien continued. "When I caught the scent of a Time Lord upon you."

It was a smell that reminded Peter of a dusty old book. A large encyclopaedia perhaps that had lived in a library all of its life. It was perfectly suited to a man who had so much knowledge tucked away inside his head.

The Doctor was not here, of course. But there was a faint trace of his presence lingering in the air that was barely detectable even with a nose as sharp as Peter's was.

Why they were interested in him was obvious.

These creatures were all about gaining as long a life as possible. A human could normally only live eighty or ninety years with any luck. So far as he knew, and if they didn't kill him first, Peter could expect the same amount of time. But the Doctor was ancient. He did not die but continued living on at the cost of changing his shape.

"He regenerates," Peter stated. "You'd live forever if you became him."

"Exactly, so tell me where I can find him?"

It was like something out of a James Bond film, the part when the spy and the villain came face to face. But Peter was not a spy, and he knew that no movie could ever reflect the level of the very real danger he was now in.

"Do you see him here with us?" He countered. "He's not here."

"Lieutenant, do not play the fool because it does not suit you." Kalagan hissed. "Tell me where he is before I have to hurt you."

Peter felt a spark of anger trigger within. He did not like being threatened in such a way and it was frustrating that he could do very little about it right now. If he was stubborn and refused to cooperate then he would almost certainly be killed. But he couldn't let these creatures become immortal, not when there was no telling what would happen as a result.

Even if he knew where the Doctor had gone, he couldn't give him up. There were too many consequences to comprehend. Besides, the game wasn't over yet. He could get himself out of this or he would die trying.

"You're right, Kalagan. I'm no fool." He growled back. "Neither are you. Which is why we both know that I am not going to give up the one piece of information that's going to keep me alive."

Kalagan smiled as though this was a fair point to be made.

"Very well, how about an exchange?" He proposed. "We'll let you both go unharmed and we'll leave this world's inhabitants alone if you give us the Time Lord's location. Does that sound fair?"

Peter knew when he was being lied too.

Hearing the shift of pace in a person's heartbeat as they tried to deceive him was just one way of knowing. But it wasn't required this time, not when such an empty promise of a fair exchange was being made by aliens who had already proven just how merciless they were.

There was no chance of him being set free even if he betrayed the Doctor.

But Peter could still play along. He could acquire some useful information and try to delay the inevitable moment they decided he wasn't worth keeping alive anymore. Stefan might wake up and get free. He might be able to get back to the team and warn them.

Might... It was a strong word right now. But it and a little hope were all Peter had.

"Before I do tell you what I know. I think it's only a courtesy that you tell me who I'm dealing with here." He said. "What species are you? Where are you from and how did you get here?"

Kalagan contemplated this for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Our planet is nothing but a breeding ground. We do not have a long enough lifespan to waste our time making a home there." He dismissed. "We wander the known universe looking for new forms and lives. We rarely stay anywhere long, no more than a few decades at a time."

"You have a ship?"

"Of course we do. You and your companion were found lying right next to it."

Peter could not recall seeing one and knew he must have already been unconscious long before he'd come anywhere near it. There had been no mention of a spaceship in the briefing either, and no indications whatsoever that anything had entered Earth's atmosphere.

It was one of the first rules UNIT had taught him.

Aliens did not always come in a great big spaceship in their thousands and threaten the entire the world. Some would arrive in unexpected ways and pose a danger to the Earth that might not even be comprehendible.

"But how did you get here? We would have noticed a crash landing, so how the hell did you end up below ground?"

Kalagan's face suddenly fell as he shook his head sadly.

"This is something for which I have no answer." He told him. "Our ship was in flight when there was a flash of light. It completely enveloped us. There was this sound… It was though we had flown into a storm that had appeared from nowhere."

"Lightning in space?" Peter wondered. "Is that even possible?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But the next thing we were aware of was that the darkness of space had been replaced by this cave."

"So you moved in here? Put up lights and unloaded everything?"

"We reverted to our true forms and spent weeks discovering this place. But with our lifespans so short, we knew we had to find a way out to the surface."

"Why didn't you just go straight up?"

Kalagan explained himself by pointing up at the roof of the cave.

"Listen to what is above us."

Concentrating, it took Peter a moment to navigate past the layers of rock and dirt that separated them from the outside world. But he could just about hear the muffled sound of running water.

A flash of an image crossed his mind. It was the map of the immediate area they had been searching and less than twelve klicks away from his base was a large river. He'd forgotten the name of it but they must be right underneath it given the direction they had travelled in.

"All that water… If you dig straight up then this whole place will flood."

This was the first piece of useful information. But it was nothing that could help him right now.

"Which is why we were in need of finding new forms. We cannot stay here forever and this world must have means in which we can use to leave and continue onto more desirable civilisations."

"Well sorry to disappoint you," Peter told him. "But Earth doesn't have intergalactic ships. Space travel only extends as far as the Moon. Besides, you've killed someone. Tom Richardson was innocent and didn't have to die. You're also still holding another human hostage. So until she is released UNIT and I won't let you do anything to help you."

"Is that so?" The alien questioned. "How disappointing."

At once Peter knew that he had opened up far too quickly and with too much of an aggressive tone. It was just plain foolish to antagonise his captors now and it wouldn't end well if they turned on him. But if he showed any fear or weakness then they equally take advantage of that too.

"Who is this UNIT?" Karugon questioned from the other side of the table. "Are they this world's leader?"

"No, but they're more than ready to step in if you do not surrender yourselves. They've faced far worse than you and won't hesitate to use lethal force to end you."

"By consulting with a Time Lord?" Kalagan chuckled. "Such a dangerous species. But useful to us right now."

The conversation had come around full circle and back to what the creatures wanted to talk about. Peter suddenly felt trapped and unable to steer away from it again.

"I know how incredibly annoying they can be." He muttered. "But if you want him then you'll have to find him yourself."

Kalagan's brow creased into an irritable frown.

"What of our agreement?" He asked. "You asked us for information and we gave it to you."

"You also said you would let us go and leave the humans alone." Peter dared to remark. "Plus I don't recall us shaking on it. My hands are kind of tied down if you haven't noticed."

Kalagan's retaliation was swift and decisive. Seizing hold of Peter by the throat, he clamped down hard on his windpipe and began to squeeze.

"You think you are in any position to withhold information from us!?" He growled. "I warned you what would happen if you did not tell me where the Time Lord is!"

Black spots were beginning to cross in front of Peter's eyes. He couldn't inhale but was instead being forced to gasp out air, making him lose it even more quickly.

Suddenly he was released and the world came back into focus. Breathing in a deep lungful was painful but so welcoming that Peter didn't care what happened next. All he could focus on was getting as much oxygen back into his body as was possible.

Kalagan's expression was cold and harsh. He was leaning over him, ready to make him suffer until he got what he wanted out of him.

"You have wasted enough of my time." He snarled. "I do not care what you are or who you work for. We are untouchable and you will tell us where the Time Lord is or I will kill you!"

"W-will you now? Then go right ahead."

Stumbling at first, Peter suddenly felt braver as he lifted his head to meet with the alien's murderous gaze.

The sudden surge of confidence worked as he saw Kalagan debate over what action to take next. If the creature killed Peter before he obtained the Doctor's location then there was a high possibility that they would never find him. So they couldn't do anything too bad to him just yet.

"You do not fear death?"

"I know an empty threat when I hear one." Peter countered. "Kill me and you can say goodbye to any chance of finding that Time Lord."

"Then I will kill your companion first." Kalagan spat. "His death will be on your conscious."

"If you touch a hair on his head then you might as well kill me because I won't say another word. Besides, if we're not back by dawn then a whole army of soldiers will come in after us. They will find you and slaughter your entire family. No mercy shown whatsoever, Kalagan."

Peter's head snapped back as Kalagan slapped him across the face again.

"I can hurt you." He hissed. "I can make it painful."

With his face stinging from the blow, Peter rolled his tongue over his teeth to check that they were all still there before he turned back to face him.

"Try me." He dared. "Because I might fear death and whatever you're going to do to me. But no matter what happens next I do not betray people, and I will endure a hell of a lot before you come to the conclusion that killing me is going to be your only option!"

Peter didn't realise until now that he was shaking in his anger. His heart was hammering against his chest and he had begun to shout. Even Kalagan was taken aback by this and stared at him, seeming impressed by his resilience.

But then a cruel smile twisted across his lips.

"Karugon. Break something."

Peter barely had time to register the words before he heard the crunching sound of a bone being snapped clean in two. The unbearable pain which followed a split second later as the message reached his brain told Peter that it was his own leg that had been broken.

The breath was completely knocked out of him, and it was for this reason alone that he didn't scream. But he wished that he could have. Perhaps it might have aided in venting some of the agony out. Instead, Peter's head flew up, his eyes wide with sickening shock. He saw Karugon still leaning on his shattered leg, the alien having broken it with a single devastating twist.

His stolen features twisted into a gleeful expression as he gazed with delight at Peter. Pointing at him excitedly, he looked over at his brother.

"Kalagan, look at that!" He gasped. "Can I do that too?"

"Yes, I think you will be able to. Whatever that is, of course." Kalagan laughed back. "You are full of surprises, lieutenant."

"Go to hell!" Peter hissed in-between the short, shallow gasps he was able to wheeze out. "Ah!"

He shut his eyes, hiding them from the world. The pain from his leg had not lessened and Karugon had not lifted his hand away. Even this small amount of pressure was almost too much to bear. But just a few minutes more, Peter thought. Just a few minutes more and it would all be over….

"Perhaps now you will tell me where the Time Lord is?"

Fury overtook him so quickly that Peter did not even realise what he had done until he'd done it. Blindly throwing his head forward, he knew that he had found his target when a fresh burst of throbbing pain exploded across his forehead as his skull collided with Kalagan's face.

The alien reeled back, clutching a bloodied nose.

"Why you little…" He hissed. "How dare you!?"

"You're going to have to do a lot better, Kalagan!" Peter yelled back. "Because I am not about to go down without a fight!"

He had barely got the words out of his mouth before Kalagan stormed over and took hold of him by the throat again, this time slamming his head down onto the table.

Peter blacked out momentarily as his skull rebounded off the solid metal surface. Feeling it roll to the side as it came to a rest, he fought against the swimming dizziness and managed to open up his eyes.

That was when he saw the Doctor.


	14. Chapter 13

The signal picked up by the sonic screwdriver had led the Doctor and Rose to one of the furthermost caves.

Both hostile and familiar voices were echoing out from it long before they reached its entrance, telling them that they had found the right place and that the utmost care was needed as they crept towards the doorway. Bent around a slight corner, the mouth of the cave was cast in a shadow created by the harsh glare of the lights that had been strung up. It was this that gave the Doctor and Rose the perfect coverage as they peered inside.

Rose could not believe her own eyes.

The last time she had seen Tom Richardson, he been lying dead in the middle of a muddied field with half of his throat missing. But now here he was, seemingly alive and well and taking to Peter Argent.

Except it wasn't the UNIT lieutenant has was speaking with. The real Peter was laid down upon a metal table, strapped to it tightly as the two aliens interrogated him for information.

The story of how the creatures had come to Earth was fascinating, but Rose could barely watch as they began to hurt Peter when he refused to give them what they wanted. She turned to the Doctor several times, expecting him to step in at any moment seeing as it was him who Peter was so bravely protecting. But the Time Lord stayed where he was, listening intently to every word that was being said.

Perhaps he was right not to alert them to their presence. All they had between them was the sonic screwdriver and the knife Stefan had given them, and Rose didn't think she would be able to bring herself to use such a weapon against anyone.

This opinion swiftly changed when she heard Peter's leg break clean in two.

But between the Doctor catching her by the arm and what she saw next, Rose never made it more than a few steps before she stopped dead in her tracks.

The lieutenant's head had shot up, revealing that his spectacular grey eyes were gone. In their place, shimmering with sparkling light, were two golden yellow orbs that were certainly not anywhere close to being human and proved beyond doubt that Doctor had been right.

Peter Argent was an alien from another world.

"Oh my God!" Rose hissed under her breath. "What is…"

But that was as far as she got.

The creature Peter had identified as Kalagan got a taste of his own medicine as the lieutenant head-butted him square in the face, almost certainly breaking the alien's nose in the process. Punished by being slammed back down upon the table, the soldier looked as though he might have been knocked out.

But then his eyes, gunmetal in colour once again, flooded with fury as he caught sight of who was hiding just a few meters away from him.

But it only lasted for a moment. Not because a lacking of contempt and anger on Peter's part, but rather because he was the first to remember where they all were and what danger still lurked in this small cave with them.

He was a good liar, Rose thought.

As Kalagan approached him yet again, this time with a lot more caution, there was nothing on Peter's face to indicate he knew anything more than he'd done a few seconds ago. His expression was neutral and his brow uncreased as though he hadn't even seen the Doctor and Rose at all.

"You are strong, lieutenant. Braver than most, too." The alien sneered. "But you will still break. Where is the Time Lord?"

Peter felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that the alien was now in possession of his own knife.

Waving the stolen blade inches away from his face, Kalagan chuckled with delight as he heard his captive's breath hitch involuntarily as he watched the cutthroat edge of it dance up and down before him.

"I..." Peter began. "I don't know."

He could hear it in his voice how pathetically unconvincing he had sounded. The mounting terror of what might happen to him next was showing, especially now that he knew he was willingly lying to the alien.

"If you do not start talking, lieutenant." Kalagan threatened. "Then I will make you scream until I get an answer."

Peter felt sick. Suddenly, he didn't know what to do.

Should he tell Kalagan the truth and let the Doctor confront the creature whilst he tried to find a way to free himself? Would the Time Lord even do anything to intervene, or was he simply just going to stand there and watch as he was tortured and killed?

He did not dare look over in the direction of the Doctor and Rose and had no idea what they were doing or even if they were still there.

Peter could feel himself shaking. Why couldn't he stop himself from shaking? It wasn't from the cold, but the pure unrestricted fear that he was going to die. He could feel tears in his eyes...

No!

Taking in a deep breath, Peter steeled himself.

He was better than this, braver and stronger and more capable than this. It was not for the first time that his life had been in immediate danger, and he doubted it would be the last time either if he came out of this alive.

He wasn't going to be frightened by some overgrown bat wearing a human's skin, and he certainly did not need the Doctor to swan in and save him.

"Well, you go ahead and do your worst." He growled through gritted teeth, straining against his bonds. "Because I am not going to talk, and I am certainly not going to scream!"

He expected death. But it did not come.

Kalagan did not quite seem to understand why he was continuing to resist him. Why, in the face of a lot of pain and eventual death, was this man not willing to save himself from both all because he was choosing to protect another?

"What do you own this Time Lord?" He asked curiously. "Why continue to protect him?"

Peter barked out a laugh.

"Trust me, I do not owe him anything." He snapped. "He's the most arrogant, self-righteous man I have ever met. He's far too clever for his own good, and he doesn't let you forget it."

"Yet you refuse to give him up, even at the cost of your own life? Such loyalty you have, lieutenant."

"That is not loyalty," Peter told him. "You just don't get it, do you? My job is to protect people and giving anything to the likes of you endangers them. So try your best, Kalagan. Because I'm not going to give you what you want. You're just going to have to go ahead and kill me!"

Kalagan's face contorted with anger as he seized hold of Peter by his hair and pressed the knife up against his throat.

"As tempting as that is, boy!" He snarled. "You will tell me where the Time Lord is, and only then might I grant you the mercy of death."

Feeling the cold metal of the blade pinching against the sweaty pulsing beat of his jugular, Peter was trying not to panic. But that was proving difficult when he knew that it would barely take a flicker of the creature's wrist for it all to be over.

"I don't know!" He cried. "He's gone!"

"Where?" Kalagan asked him. "Where has he gone to?"

"I don't know!"

"You're lying to me, lieutenant." The alien growled. "I can hear your heartbeat. Now tell me where he is!?"

It was his last chance, and they both knew it. Whatever Peter said or did next would determine whether he lived or died.

"Okay!" He shouted. "P-please, just take away the knife."

"Why should I?"

On the verge of hyperventilating, with his bottom lip trembling, Peter stared up at the alien full of panic and fear.

"Because you're right, the Time Lord is dangerous." He blurted out. "Even I'm scared of him and what he's capable of."

He paused, waiting to see what Kalagan's reaction might be to this.

It took a moment of consideration, but curiosity eventually won over the creature enough for him to let go of Peter and lift the knife away from his throat. Waiting with explanation, he nodded his approval.

"Go on?"

Forcing himself to draw in a deep breath, Peter nodded back.

"Before you go off and look for him, there's something that you need to know." He told him. "Something that I can't even say out loud. It's too terrible, Kalagan."

"Then whisper it to me," Kalagan commanded with delight. "Whisper it into my ear."

Eager to hear this new information, he didn't hesitate in leaning over Peter and bent down so that his ear was only a couple inches away from his lips.

CLINK!

The buckle attached to the strap that was holding Peter's right arm down snapped clean off.

Over the past few minutes he'd be pulling against it, and finally, it had given way and allowed him his freedom. His plan had been for both of his arms to come loose, but the lefthand one had stubbornly held firm. No matter, he would just have to work with the one for now.

Rule number three of interrogation class.

Get the enemy to drop their guard by any means required. Get them within range of you and make them wish that they had killed you earlier.

Snatching hold of Kalagan's arm, the one that was still holding onto the knife, Peter was successful in forcing the alien to drop the weapon. But he cursed to himself when he failed to catch it. With only one arm available to him, he wasn't physically able to grab the blade before it fell away and onto the floor.

But he did manage to clamp his arm around Kalagan's neck. Breaking it would be simple enough if he could just get himself positioned at the right angle to…

It wasn't enough.

To his frustration, Kalagan wriggled out of his grasp and wasted no time in turning the tables on him. Wrenching Peter's arm back and pinning it above his head, the alien held him in place as Karugon stepped forward and retrieved the knife.

"You should kill him now." He advised his brother as he handed him the weapon. "If he won't speak then he's no use to us."

"Thank you, brother." But I think there's still some fun to be had yet." Kalagan replied. "Oh, you are a wily one, lieutenant."

Fighting against the man's grip was impossible with just one arm, and Peter knew that it was all over now that he'd missed his chance to get free. But he wasn't going to go quietly. He was going to make it difficult for them right up until the very end.

"Go to hell!" He bellowed at them. "You wouldn't stand a chance if this was a fair fight!"

"Ah, but this isn't a fair fight, is it?" Kalagan pointed out. "Now, how quick should I make this for you?"

Without warning he pressed the knife up against his throat again, laughing as Peter bit back a cry of panic as he thought that he was finally going to cut across it and kill him.

"Make him suffer." Karugon encouraged. "He killed our brothers and cousin!"

"We don't know that for certain. Also, we're still waiting for your answer, lieutenant." Kalagan reasoned. "You know where the Time Lord is, so just tell us."

Peter knew that they would kill him after hearing whatever he had to say next. He was just sorry and regretful that they would most likely kill Stefan too, and could only hope his best friend would not regain consciousness before that happened.

But where the hell was the Doctor?

It felt like a lifetime ago he had spotted him and Rose skulking in the shadows just a few meters away from him. Were they still there? Or had they crept away, unable to watch as he was murdered trying to protect them?

Suddenly Peter knew what he wanted his last words to be.

"You're right, Kalagan." He replied, drawing in a final deep breath. "I do know where he is."

Both of the creatures looked surprised by his cooperation, and Kalagan even lifted the knife away from Peter's throat as he waited with eager anticipation.

"See?" He told him, almost kindly. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Where is he?"

Peter waited just a heartbeat of a moment. Enjoying these last precious few seconds of life before it was torn away from him.

"I'm not going to tell you, and you wanna know why?" He told him, daring to smirk. "I hate you more!"

Peter took great satisfaction as he saw the impact of his words sink in. The disappointment and frustration they caused were plain to see on Kalagan's face, and he knew that he had done all he could to put a solid roadblock in the creature's plans.

"How unfortunate," Kalagan told him after a moment. "But I guess you've made your choice."

Peter hardly dared to watch as the alien weighed up the knife he was holding. But it seemed as though he was to be granted a stay of execution as Kalagan suddenly decided to set aside the blade and placed it down of the edge of the table. If the creature then chose to let go of his arm, it would be in reaching distance and Peter would be able to…

Kalagan's hand clamped down on his windpipe that Peter thought that his neck was going to break.

But he could tell from the alien's cruel and merciless laughter that he was going to be made to endure an agonising wait before being granted his death as the life in him was slowly and painfully squeezed out.

Peter felt his eyes close for the last time. This was it. He was going to die.

"That's enough!" The Doctor's voice rang out. "Let him go and you and me can have a nice chat about your manners."


	15. Chapter 14

There had only been seconds left.

Gasping for breath as Kalagan's hand loosened and finally lifted away, Peter's throat was burning as the world came back into focus. Breathing hurt and it was taking all of his strength just to keep the oxygen flowing in. But as he looked over and saw the Doctor and Rose standing in the entrance of the cave, both of them no longer hiding away in the shadows, he still managed to wheeze out the worse swear-word he knew.

The Time Lord smirked back at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Lieutenant Argent!" He tutted playfully. "Not the sort of language I'd expect from an officer."

Peter would have said more but the words failed to come out.

He was trembling so much that his teeth were chattering. His body and mind were refusing to coordinate and it took several deep and painful breaths to calm himself down and concentrate on the situation at hand.

The Doctor had wandered in a little further, his hands casually tucked into his coat pockets as he regarded Kalagan and Karugon with a mild look of curiosity.

"The Time Lord." Kalagan acknowledged. "At last we meet!"

"Yes, I heard that you were looking for me." The Doctor replied. "Kalagan and Karugon, isn't it? Hello, I'm the Doctor. You've already met Peter, and this is Rose Tyler. Rose, come and say hello."

Hesitantly, Rose stepped forward.

"I don't understand." She questioned. "How can they just become us?"

"Oh, it's simple, Rose. Shapeshifter DNA. It's in their biology to transform themselves into something else. Think of it like changing your clothes, putting on a new coat or even a hat."

"We assimilate ourselves into a desirable species," Kalagan explained. "So that we may live as they do."

"I understand that part, yes. It explains why you took the girl, you wanted to know more about the humans before all of you became them." The Doctor told him. "But why kill Tom Richardson? You only needed a bit of his blood. He didn't have to die."

Peter had at last found his voice.

"It's because he enjoyed it, Doctor." He snapped. "The thrill of the hunt. He didn't go in for the kill straight away, the wounds were all at the front and inflicted before Tom was dead. You wanted to make it last, didn't you?"

The hand Kalagan had been using to hold on Peter's loose arm shot over and seized hold of his mouth, squeezing his jaw tightly as he glared down at him.

"Yes, I did!" He hissed. "It was the most fun I've had in years. Oh, how he screamed!"

"Well, that all ends tonight." The Doctor decreed. "There's to be no more, Kalagan."

"Indeed, Doctor?"

Releasing his grip on Peter, Kalagan and his brother watched as the Time Lord made his way around the table, stopping when he was directly next to the soldier's head. Glancing down at Peter, he spoke to him in a low whisper.

"Are you alright?"

Peter's eyes were tinged with yellow sparks again as he stared up incredulously at the Doctor.

'What the hell do you think!?" He bit back. "Never mind them, I'm going to kill you myself!"

"That's the spirit." He replied, patting him on the shoulder. "Nice eyes, by the way."

Peter was too angry to show any concern about him noticing them. But he said nothing more as the Doctor continued on his walk around the table until it and Peter were between him and the two creatures.

"It does not matter how we acquire our forms," Kalagan responded. "Especially seeing as it has now brought you to us."

The Doctor's cheerfulness had vanished now. He had grown quite serious as a frown crossed his brow. Leaning against the table, his arms folded and half-hidden from view by Peter, he tutted his disapproval.

"Doesn't matter?" He questioned. "Every single one of those people mattered, Kalagan. They had lives and jobs, and they mattered. As for kidnapping Jane Wilson…. Oh, that was a mistake and a half. You might have been able to remain undetected on this planet had you left her alone."

Jane Wilson. It was the first time Rose had heard the name of the missing girl spoken aloud. Was she still alive? Did she know that her boyfriend was dead, murdered by the very creature who could now pass himself off so easily as if Tom Richardson was still alive?

"All we want is life, Doctor," Kalagan said. "Peaceful, everlasting life. You can help us achieve this with one drop of your blood."

His arms shifting awkwardly for a moment, the Doctor stood back up and walked back around the table to continued his conversation with the alien. The face of Tom Richardson had formed into what it thought was a pitiful and saddened expression. But it was nothing more than a mask, worn by a creature who had never experienced such emotions in his life.

"You want too much life." He told him "Enough for you to kill and hurt innocent people."

The mask fell away at once, allowing the darkness in Kalagan's face to return as true colours of the predatory creature hidden beneath quickly emerged across its human disguise.

"We will take what we need, Doctor." He declared. "Our desire for life will be quenched!"

"Is that so?" The Doctor countered, circling him and Karugon so that he was now back with Rose. "Because I don't think that you will."

Both Kalagan and Karugon were closing in on him now, a mean and hardened look in each of their eyes as Kalagan brought up the knife.

"How are you going to stop us, Doctor?" He chuckled confidently. "What are you going to do to stop us?"

"Oh, what am I going to do? Nothing. Nothing at all." He responded. "I believe in a fair fight, you see."

"Er... Doctor." Rose began. "Don't you think that -"

"So, that being said." The Doctor continued, pointing. "I think that he might do a lot to stop you."

The creatures turned around and saw that his finger was aimed at Peter. The soldier was still securely strapped down to the table, but a smirk had crossed the lieutenant's lips as his eyes once again lit up with a furious golden light.

He knew what was about to happen and was ready for it.

With a flourishing wave of his arm, the Doctor brought up the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the table. The remaining leather straps wrapped around Peter's limbs sprang open, freeing him completely.

Wasting no time in taking advantage of his freedom, Peter jumped up and stood crouched on the balls of his feet as he prepared to pounce forward. It was Kalagan who made the first move, murderous and determined to stop him. But he only managed to take a single step forward before Peter was upon him.

Ramming into the alien with enough force to knock him back several paces, he delivered a harsh jab of his elbow straight into his stomach before grabbing hold of his arm and twisting it sharply back. This disarmed Kalagan of his knife and forced him to drop it onto the ground for a second time as Peter grabbed hold of him by the neck and threw him up against the wall.

Putting his arms up in defence, Kalagan countered with a careless swing of his arm, one that Peter easily dodged before responding a punch of his own to the creature's face.

Kalagan crumpled to the ground, dazed from the blow.

Initially stunned by the turn of events, Karugon seized the opportunity to jump to his brother's aid. However, it soon became apparent that he was even less experienced in combat than his sibling was. Peter saw him coming from a mile away and had plenty of time to swerve out of the way before he brought up his leg as he twisted his body around and lashed out with a powerful kick. His foot powered into his duplicate's chest with enough strength that Karugon didn't even have time to cry out before he collapsed to the ground.

That should have been the end of it had Kalagan not come to and regained his feet. His arms were raised like a champion boxer who was about to bout in the ring as he worked out what he was going to do next.

"It's a shame you became human, Kalagan." Peter teased. "There are weaknesses that come along with those extra few years."

He then revealed his secret weapon.

Kalagan's eyes widened as Peter drew out the concealed blade that he had tucked away quite carefully in through his belt.

"How did you…?"

Peter smiled back, giving nothing away as he enjoyed seeing the shock and irritation on the alien's face. In truth even he hadn't known that the Doctor had been in possession of Stefan's knife until it had been placed in his hand just moments earlier.

Incredibly it had been smuggled over to him right under the alien's noses, clumsily slid over to him when the Time Lord had pretended to lean against the table. Holding it firmly in his hand, Peter made sure Kalagan knew that he was prepared to use it.

"I warned you what would happen if you didn't stop." He told him. "Make the sensible choice and surrender yourself."

Kalagan barked out a cackling laugh.

"I think not, lieutenant." He told him. "Better than you have tried and failed miserably."

So much for giving him a fair chance. Peter was in a way glad that he could now give the alien exactly what he deserved. But taking a life was always the last resort and he knew that they hadn't reached that point yet. Consciously putting the knife down on the table, Peter hoped the act would encourage Kalagan into attacking him.

Bracing himself as the creature lunged for him, there was a brief exchange of blows as they grappled with one another. Kalagan managed to gain the upper hand as he caught hold of Peter by the throat and pinned him up against the wall.

But it wasn't for long. Kicking out with his leg again, Peter struck him straight between the legs.

"Ouch!" The Doctor grimaced. "That looked painful."

"Schoolboy trick." Peter retorted. "I'm done playing nice."

"Fair enough."

Taking advantage of Kalagan being stood doubled over with pain, Peter strode over and took hold the alien by the shoulder.

With very little effort he used it to launch himself up and over the creature's head before he locked his legs around Kalagan's neck. Throwing himself forward, he pulled down hard and fast. Taking Kalagan down with him, both of them tumbled head over heels. But whilst Peter landed safely in an expertly executed roll, Kalagan crashed to the ground with his head still pinned between Peter's scissored legs.

"Last chance, Kalagan!" Peter shouted at him. "Surrender!"

Still finding this notion amusing, Kalagan coughed out a laugh.

"We're not done yet!" He told him. "You're going to have to do better than this."

Pushing against Peter's leg, Kalagan ducked his head down and opened his mouth wide open before he viciously sank his teeth into his thigh. With little choice but to relinquish his grip and kick him away, Peter rolled back and up onto his feet. His back was now to the table once again, and he only had a split second in which to act before Kalagan recovered himself and charged towards him one final time.

The knife pierced the alien's chest somewhere in-between the second and third rib.

It was the perfect place because the blade could slide in without hindrance as it pierced straight through the heart. Had Kalagan been in his monstrous bat-form then Peter would have had no idea where to aim for. But now that he looked human, it was almost too easy of a task to put him down.

Kalagan's lips parted as though he were about to speak. But instead of words, blood so dark that it was almost black poured out as he exhaled a final gasping breath.

He was already dead long before his body fell to the ground, the knife still embedded in his chest. But Peter was not concerned about this. The alien was a murderer and he had stopped him from hurting anyone else. Crouching down next to him, he yanked the blade out with a single sharp pull.

"NO!"

Karugon's bellowing howl of grief made everyone jump.

He was unsteady on his feet and vastly outmatched, but that did not stop him from launching himself at Peter, ready to enact his vengeance for his brother's death. But it was all in vain as Peter swiftly seized him by the arm, pinning it behind his back, before he twisted him around and forced him against the table, using his body weight to keep the alien in place.

"Listen to me, Karugon. Listen!" He ordered him. "Your brother is dead and throwing your own life away is not going to bring him back. So if you want to live then stop right now and answer my questions."

"No!" He hissed back. "I won't do it!"

But his anger faded into fear as Peter spun him back around to face him and pressed the knife that was still coated in Kalagan's blood up against his throat.

"Exactly how big is your family, Karugon?" Peter questioned. "Jane Wilson, the human girl you kidnapped. Where is she?"

Even now Karugon refused to answer him. But it wasn't out of defiance or bravery, Rose could see that the creature was far too frightened to speak. It was strange to see such a level of fear on a face that looked so much like the lieutenant's handsome head, especially when it was only a couple of inches away from a mirror image that was flushed red with anger.

Peter's eyes had turned yellow again.

It was out of pure fury this time. With his teeth bared and his nose wrinkled upwards into a snarl, it was hard to tell which one of them was the monstrous creature underneath. Perhaps both of them were? Rose didn't know what such a glowing gaze meant, but she did know a bully when she saw one.

"Get off him!" She ordered. "You've made your point, but you don't need to kill him. He's terrified!"

"I should hope he is!" Peter snapped back. "Because he was all for murdering me a few minutes ago. I bet you loved shattering my leg, didn't you!? Time to return the favour, Karugon. I think I'll start and end with your neck!"

"Please! No!"

"Lieutenant Argent! You will stand down!"

The Doctor did not quite shout, but there was enough authority in his voice to make Peter stop and listen to whatever it was he had to say next.

"Make it quick, Doctor." He told him. "Make it a good enough reason."

"I'll give you two." The Time Lord replied. "You are a soldier, Peter. Killing is part of the job sometimes, I know that. But that does not mean that you have to become a killer. You protect people, remember?"

Peter was still staring at him with anger and harshness. But slowly, the glow in his eyes began to fade as the grey colour started to return.

"What's the second?"

"Mercy and compassion." The Doctor told him. "Karugon has never known either in his whole life and more bloodshed will always lead to more bloodshed. Prove to him that there's more to life than it."

Waiting and watching with bated breath, Rose feared the worst until she saw the knife lift away from Karugon's throat as Peter relinquished himself to the Doctor's wishes. Still keeping hold of the alien, he addressed him with a far greater degree of calmness.

"Karugon," He told him. "You are now in the custody of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Any remaining members of your family will be expected to surrender themselves to me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, I understand." Karugon, choking with relief. "I don't want any more trouble."

"Good. Now how many of there are you?" Peter repeated. "Where is the girl you took?"

"Including me, there are six of us. Five now, I guess…." He said sadly. "As for the human female. I can take you to her if she's still alive that is."

"Oh, for your sake she'd better be," Peter told him. "Because if she's not…"

Aggressively, he slammed the knife down into the table right next to Karugon with enough force to pierce through the metal surface by a good three or four inches. Karugon let out a small whimper but otherwise seemed quite relieved that he had been spared death.

"Thank you." The Doctor breathed out, smiling at Peter. "Now, let's... Ooh!"

Peter had grabbed hold of Karugon by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him up, only to slam him back down again so that his head crashed down again against the solid edge of the table. Knocked out by the harsh blow, the creature fell to the floor with a thud.

"What did you do that for?" Rose cried out. "He was surrendering!"

"They're shape-shifters, Rose! He can turn into one of those things again whenever he likes." He scalded her. "Plus he's now like me, which means that…"

He stopped himself just in time from revealing anything else and quickly turned away from them, yanking the knife back out of the table before he laid the bloodied weapon out next to him.

Rose exchanged a look with the Doctor.

As far as she knew, neither of them had yet figured out what Peter was. He still wasn't willing to tell them, even after they had heard and seen so much already. But all of that didn't matter for the moment. Despite his anger, the soldier had been through quite an ordeal and it looked as though it was all finally catching up with him.

He was leaning against the side of the table, holding onto the edge of it so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His head was hanging lower than usual as he took in a few deep breaths.

Tentatively, the Doctor stepped forward.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "Peter?"

Resting a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he could feel that he was trembling slightly. Sweat from both fear and the ensuing fight were pouring off of him. Instantly flinching at his touch, Peter pulled away sharply and spun around to face him.

"What the hell do you care!?" He shouted. "Were you just going to stand there and watch!?"

"No, I…" The Doctor began. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Peter let out a loud scoff.

"No, you're not. You just wanted your answers, same as them." He bit back, nodding down at Karugon and the body of Kalagan. "Or maybe someone just needs to be nearly dying for you to act?"

"You seemed to have it all in hand." The Doctor reasoned. "Didn't need us at all. Good thing we didn't listen to you and came back though, isn't it?"

It had been meant as a joke, but it was a bad one and was received just as poorly.

"Don't patronise me, Doctor!" Peter argued. "Not when you were just stood there for goodness knows how long whilst I protected the both of you!"

"You were very brave." He acknowledged. "You could have told them anything but -"

"I kept my mouth shut. A mistake I won't be repeating, believe me."

Though his face was still quite pale, Peter had recovered himself somewhat now that he had vented out some of his justifiable anger. His hands were stained with Kalagan's blood, but it was he rather than the Doctor who had come out atop the moral high ground.

The two aliens had tortured him and he had held fast and not given them up to them.

It was then that Rose realised that the soldier was standing up on a leg that had been viciously broken less than ten minutes ago. The sickening sound of the bone snapping in two had reverberated all around the cave for everyone to hear. So how on Earth was he able to use it? How had he just been able to fight with it?

She couldn't remember what the Doctor had called it, his ability to either avoid injury or heal far more quickly than was normal. But along with that golden glowing gaze of his, it was hard to completely understand what Peter Argent was.

"I don't get it?" She asked. "How can you… What?"

Peter had huffed in annoyance and rolled his eyes at her.

"Figures that you don't." He muttered before turning back to the Doctor. "I can see why you like having her around. You must get to show off all the time given she hardly knows anything about anything."

"Oi!" Rose protested. "I know stuff. You just won't tell us what you are."

"It's none of your business." He told her. "So stop asking questions."

Rose had never had so many in her life, but with the Doctor also shaking his head at her, she knew that it wasn't the right time to begin quizzing the soldier on his secrets. Hopefully, there would be an opportunity later on, if they ever made out of this cave.

"Well, what is clear is that they really shouldn't have messed around with you." The Time Lord pointed out. "Regardless of what you are, Peter. You have quite the skill set."

"I can throw a punch if that's what you mean." He replied, frowning. "Was that your attempt at a compliment?"

"It's as close to one as you'll get," Rose said. "They come out now and then."

She had hoped that this might have lightened the atmosphere, but Peter was still mad at them and was in no longer in the mood to keep the conversation going. His attention had shifted to the figure sat slumped against a cabinet towards the back of the cave.

Corporal Stefan Amell had not yet woken up.


	16. Chapter 15

Reaching his friend in less than two strides, Peter fumbled slighting in his rush to undo the blindings wrapped around Stefan's hands.

The sustained injuries on show were minor. Bruises, cuts, a swollen eye… But there was no telling until he woke up and until they reached medical help whether or not he had been seriously hurt. Peter couldn't entirely be sure but he knew that they had fallen harshly, hitting their heads on at least one occasion. There might be internal damage that might prove fatal without care only a hospital could provide.

To reach such a place now, it would be easier to travel to the moon.

"Let me take a look at him."

The Doctor barely managed to crouch down, the sonic screwdriver out and pointed towards Stefan, before Peter rounded on him.

"Get away from him!" He snapped. "You've done enough already to -"

"I'm just going to scan him and see if everything is okay. You don't need to do this on your own anymore, Peter. Right now, I think you could use the help, don't you?"

It didn't take long for Peter to think the offer over. Stefan was injured and they were still far from safe. They hadn't found Jane Wilson yet, and wouldn't until Karugon came to and showed them where to go. It was time to set aside any remaining shreds of pride and work together. Shuffling back slightly, Peter nodded in agreement and allowed the Doctor to work.

The sonic screwdriver buzzed away for a few moments before the information travelled back to the Time Lord.

"How bad is it?" Peter questioned. "Is he…"

"He's going to be fine." The Doctor told him kindly. "Just a few scrapes and a mild concussion, no internal injures."

Backing this diagnosis up, Stefan finally woke up.

He groaned in protest of the pain his throbbing head was causing as his eyes fluttered open. Blurry-eyed and uncoordinated, it took a few seconds for his brain to catch up with what he was seeing in front of him.

"What the hell?" He moaned. "What..."

"Hey, it's okay. You're fine." Peter told him, beaming with relief. "Just a bump to the head."

Stefan's confusion only grew as he looked from Peter to the Doctor and then over at the two limp forms of Kalagan and Karugon that were laying sprawled out on the ground. It didn't take a second glance for him to see that his concussion was not causing double vision. There were two Peter Argents in the room. Tom Richardson had appeared again, dead once again. Surrounded by a pool of blood, this one had a large hole in his chest.

"Peter, what… w-what happened?" He demanded to know. "Those bodies over there…"

"You missed a bit of the action," Peter explained. "Remember we thought they were shape-shifters?"

"Oh, right. Wait…" Stefan realised. "How do I know you're the real Peter, then? You could…"

But the lieutenant had been expecting this question. There was always the possibility of becoming compromised by the enemy, especially in a situation like this where they could transform themselves into anyone. Knowing Stefan as well as he did, however, it did not take Peter longer to come up with a piece of information that only the two of them knew to be genuine.

"Yeah, I could be one of those things." He replied, smiling. "But do you remember right at the start of Year Eleven when we tried out for the rugby team? I went to take a kick and hit the post."

"You still didn't use to your newfound strength. The frame bent and the whole thing came crashing down." Stefan said with a nod. "Tell me what you said next?"

Peter smiled fondly at the memory.

"I didn't say anything, just stood there and stared like an idiot." He replied. "Good thing Mister Sharples put it down to wear and tear of the school equipment."

Stefan instantly relaxed as he took a second glance at the two aliens his friend had taken down.

"You do have a way with handling situations, Peter. This is Austria all over again."

"There were several of them in Austria, thank you very much." Peter retorted. "Besides, I wasn't going to hang around. Not when they had those gigantic stingers."

"I know, I know. You've mentioned the stingers." Stefan groaned. "I've lost count how many times you've told me about those giant bloody stingers."

"Sounds like quite the tale." The Doctor added, smiling. "But maybe for another day. How do you feel, Stefan? Let's get you back on your feet, shall we?"

Between him and Peter, the corporal was soon up off the floor and stood back up. Leaning up against them until the room stopped spinning, Stefan turned with some curiosity to the Time Lord. He knew that both himself and Peter had told him and Rose to leave, but he wasn't half surprised to find that they hadn't.

"How do they transform?" He questioned. "Is it just be seeing what we look like?"

It was Rose that answered him first.

"They use blood. They need it to live longer." She said. "Peter, they had him on the table and -"

"Wait, what?" Stefan immediately questioned, turning to his friend. "Mate, do they hurt -"

"I'm fine, Stefan." Peter insisted. "I dealt with them, and found out where Jane Wilson is."

He let out a reluctant sigh as the Doctor coughed quite loudly and with a degree of clarity. "With a little bit of help, I suppose." He admitted. "Though you did deliberately disobey my orders, Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled at him.

"It's more fun when you break the rules." He countered. "Isn't it, Rose?"

His companion had not been listening. She had already done the maths.

"Doctor, Karugon said there were six of them." She stated. "There's still one more of them we haven't seen yet. Where is it?"

"Yes, there is." The Doctor considered. "One which I think will be the leader of this little pack of theirs."

Peter and Stefan had begun to retrieve their stolen equipment. All their weapons but the shotguns were there, the guns most like lost forever to the darkness when they had fallen. Their protective vests and rucksacks were missing too. Knowing that the two creatures were responsible, Peter wasn't too worried about needing them for the moment and strongly suspected that they had been stored away somewhere nearby.

Looking over what gear they did have, he was relieved to find that most of it had escaped damage. His foldable baton seemed to be the only casualty, the metal rod dented and twisted beyond repair. Tossing it aside, he turned to Stefan.

"Anything busted?" He asked. "I've lost my baton but otherwise I'm all good."

"Yes, I think we got knocked around more," Stefan replied. "It's just my radio. Must have landed on it."

The hardened plastic casing was cracked down the middle, exposing the tangled mess of torn wiring and broken circuitry boards inside.

"We can worry about that when we get back to the surface," Peter told him. "Right now we need to find our missing girl and get out of here."

"What about the other creature?" Rose asked. "They're still down here somewhere. What if we come across them?"

Peter shot back one of his smirks and he confidently cocked back his gun so that it was ready to fire.

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

Karugon stumbled over a loose rock and nearly fell to the floor as he was aggressively shoved forward by Peter. With his hands handcuffed behind him, he only just managed to regain his balance as he straightened back up again.

The creature was still under the guise of the lieutenant and had been forced to lead the way through the series of caves towards wherever it was Jane Wilson was being held.

"There's no need to push me!" He protested. "I'm going -"

He was cut off with a wince as Peter jabbed the barrel of his gun into his back.

"I'll decide what's required, Karugon." He told him. "Remember, you're no longer bulletproof in this form and the second you try anything…"

Karugon whimpered at the idea of what might happen as he felt the gun being pressed deeper into his spin.

Rose couldn't help but feel a tiny bit sorry for the alien. He was rightfully scared, and Peter had reverted to his arrogant and mean default setting. Topped with the fact that he had just stabbed his brother to death, albeit in self-defence, it was hard not to condone the way he was handling things.

"Doesn't it bother either one of you that he still looks like Peter?" She ventured. "Stefan, he is your best friend?"

"I'm not fooled by what someone looks like, Rose." He told her, shaking his head. "There's a difference between looking like something and acting it."

It was a very odd way of putting things, and Rose wondered if he was still referring about Karugon. There were too many deceiving appearances floating around tonight. Alien creatures who could become anyone and anything, the Doctor who looked so human and yet was not. Then there was Peter…

After about half an hour, it became quite obvious that Karugon had either been lying to them about knowing where Jane Wilson was or was for some reason delaying in taking them to her.

Rose recognised the cave they had just stepped into. It was the one with the metal table and ornament she and the Doctor had passed through after sneaking in through the tiny passageway. They were nearly back at the creature's ship, and there didn't seem anywhere else left to search.

"We've already been in here." She said. "Me and the Doctor. This is where that other tunnel ended."

Peter's patience was paper-thin at best. But now it had all but vanished completely.

"Where are you leading us, Karugon?" He barked. "Why aren't you taking us to the human girl?"

"I am!" He insisted. "It's just a little bit -"

That was as far as he got.

Peter grabbed hold of Karugon by the neck and slammed him up against the wall of the cave, pressing his face into the sharp rocky surface so that it was scratching his face. Trying to wriggle free, Karugon couldn't move as the lieutenant held him firmly in place.

"Stop lying to me!" Peter shouted. "You and your family have been a pain in my neck all night. I'm done giving you chances, Karugon."

"Why should I help you anymore?" The creature bit back. "You came down here, killed my brother! All for the sake of one pathetic -"

Rose gasped in horror as Peter drew out his gun and jammed it against Karugon's neck. For a terrifying moment, she thought that he was going to pull the trigger. His eyes were shining again and it was not going to be long before his anger would overtake any remaining hesitations.

"Be very careful about your next words." He hissed. "Otherwise they're going to be your last."

Kalagan opened up his mouth to speak but then thought better of it. Nodding in agreement, he stifled a cry of relief as Peter lifted his gun away and spun him back around. There were a few lines on his face where the skin had caught against the stone, but he was otherwise unhurt.

"What are you?" The alien questioned, staring at Peter. "You're not like them at all, are you?"

"Keep pushing your luck, and you'll find out."

Without waiting for Karugon to tell him otherwise, Peter shunted the alien forward again and in the direction of the doorway, they had not yet gone through.

Watching him go, Rose was not the only one to hesitate in following after him.

The Doctor had a disapproving frown on his face whilst Stefan looked quite unsettled. Could it be that he was scared of his friend? No matter how close they were and regardless of a shared childhood, was it possible that there were times when Peter's alien nature became difficult to witness?

She wanted to ask, but Stefan caught her eye and shook his head as though he already knew what she was about to say.

"It's fine." He said in a low whisper. "He'd never… You know."

"Maybe with you here, Stefan." The Doctor mused. "Come on."

Leaving no room for further conversation, the Time Lord followed after Peter and out of the cave.

The spaceship looked even bigger now that they were at ground level. Even in such a dishevelled state, the large black structure towered above them as Peter and Stefan cautiously lead them all towards it, dragging Karugon along as they went.

"I don't remember seeing this?" Stefan questioned, turning to Peter. "Did you…?"

"No. I was out, same as you." He replied. "But it's the perfect hiding place, wouldn't you say so?"

Stefan nodded in agreement as he turned to Karugon.

"Is she inside?" He asked. "What about the other creature? Where are they?"

Karugon had gone silent again. He merely shrugged back and refused to give anything away. Perhaps he was frightened of igniting Peter's fury again, but he did not indicate one way or the other of what awaited them inside the ship.

"It doesn't matter." Peter decided. "Guard him, Stefan. I'll go in and check it out."

Stefan nodded and stepped forward so that he was now right next to Karugon. With his gun out and aimed at the alien, he was ready to put him down the moment he tried to do anything that he didn't like.

"Be careful, mate." He warned. "Could be a…"

Peter's head snapped around towards the ship, he was suddenly alert and on edge as his attention was caught by something only he seemed to have detected. Sound, smell… It wasn't clear just yet. But the cave was completely deserted and the only noise was the echoes of tiny droplets of water dripping down from the roof into the large pool of water.

Thirty seconds passed without anyone daring to move or speak.

"Eyes on, Stefan," Peter whispered. "We're not alone."

It was only by watching the lieutenant could Rose tell that something was going on within the confines of the ship. But then a loud clanging sound somewhere within the metal hull confirmed that he was right.

"Who's there?" Stefan called out. "Come out of the ship and show yourself!"

Silence followed. Whoever it was had heard him and stopped in whatever it was they were doing.

"This is Lieutenant Peter Argent from the Unified Intelligence Taskforce," Peter announced. "Get out of the ship or we're coming in!"

Rose hadn't realised it, but she'd been holding in her breath again.

Then she heard footstep clicking against a metal floor as they moved towards the open doorway. Footsteps…. As in two legs, and not ones in possession of razor-sharp claws. Rather unsteadily, a young woman emerged and clumsily lowered himself down from the ship.

She looked as though she'd been dragged backwards through a bush and then on through several more. Caked head-to-toe in mud, she was shaking uncontrollably, her flame-coloured hair was a tangled and matted mess adorned with a few twigs and leaves. It was clear that she had not slept in all the time she had been missing and had most likely not had anything to eat or drink either.

"Oh my God!" Rose gasped. "That's her! Jane Wilson!"

Hearing her own name, the woman's chocolate brown eyes darted in Rose's direction and widened with disbelief.

"P-please... Please, c-can you help..."

Rose was already running towards her, arms stretched out wide in order to pull her into a much-needed hug. But then a strong hand grabbed hold of her and pulled her back sharply, preventing her from getting any closer to the distressed woman.

"Rose, stop!" Peter ordered. "Let me handle this."

"But she needs help." She protested. "Just let me…. Oh!"

The creature yet to emerge wouldn't have just let Jane go, and the woman didn't look anywhere near strong enough to escape on her own. There had to be a reason why she had been allowed to walk out of the ship. As Peter let go of her arm, Rose watched apprehensively as he approached Jane. She could see the seriousness in his eyes that told her of the danger they could still be in.

"Who are you?" The woman questioned as Peter neared her. "I don't know... What's happening?"

"Miss Wilson, my name is Peter Argent," Peter replied. "I've been sent here to rescue you."

"There are these things! They took me and..."

She started to cry.

Peter's expression instantly softened but he was still hesitant to reach out towards the poor woman to comfort her. Doing his best to keep his voice kind, he knew that he couldn't relax. He couldn't put away his gun either. There was still a creature loose somewhere, and it was almost certainly watching them now.

"I know that you've been through a lot and I promise that I'm going to get you out of here." He told her. "But it's very important that you tell me where you last saw the creatures that took you."

"I don't know." Jane gasped between sobs. "I haven't s- seen..."

"That's okay. You've done so well, but my priority is getting you to safety."

Jane had spotted Stefan and the others stood in the distance. She stared at them for a moment, tears still running down her cheeks.

"Is there just the just the four of you?" She questioned, calming herself down slightly. "Those creatures -"

"Are nothing I can't handle," Peter assured her. "We also found Tom Richardson. You know him, don't you?"

"Oh, yes." Jane agreed, sniffing loudly. "Yes, where is he?"

Rose's heart sank. She didn't know what had happened to him. After everything that she had already been through, how could she possibly be told what terrible fate had befallen the man she loved?

Peter words were cold and blunt as he delivered the news.

"He's dead." He told her. "Got his throat ripped out by a very ugly looking bat monster. Sorry."

But just a Rose had half a mind to march right over to the lieutenant and slap him very hard across the face, she noticed that Jane Wilson had stopped crying. Her face no longer bearing the marks of the ordeal she had been through. There were no screams of grief or distress either.

Then the woman smiled in a way that made her blood run cold.

"Ah…" Jane breathed, smiling coyly. "I sense that you're no longer fooled by my appearance? What gave me away?"

Taking in her dishevelled form for a little while longer, Peter half-circled around the last of the alien creatures as she fixated a curious gaze upon him.

"Two things." He informed her. "There are five of us, not four. So either you're really bad at maths or you didn't bother adding in Karugon over there because you already know who he is regardless of what he looks like."

"Yes." She confirmed. "Our kind can -"

"Smell each other a mile off, yes. Which brings me to onto the more obvious observation."

"Which is?"

Stepping forward, Peter sniffed in deeply and inhaled her scent. It was a damp, putrid smell that reminded him of rotting flesh and had nothing to do with their current surroundings. The creature looked human enough, but underneath she was still the same nightmarish creature who's kind had brought so much terror to the New Forest.

Leaning in towards her ear, Peter whispered into it.

"I know what humans smell like." He replied. "You stink of something else entirely. Death and misery… It matches the vile mess you are underneath your stolen face."

The carbon copy of the real Jane Wilson had her attractive face and slender body. But there was a glint of wickedness in her eye, a sense of confidence that was coming from someone that was much older and had seen far more than any human could even fathom seeing.

"I can say the same about you? Lieutenant, was it?"

"Call me Peter." He said, smirking. "What's your real name, Jane?"

"Karina." She responded. "I am the leader of our pack. Karugon is my nephew."

"Along with Kalagan, I presume?" Peter promoted. "Not to mention two or three others?"

Karina frowned with suspicion.

"You've met them all?" She asked curiously. "Yet you're still alive?"

"Yes, I am." He laughed. "Which means that they're not."


	17. Chapter 16

Karina did not even flinch at the news of her family's demise.

The alien masquerading as a human woman smiled back at Peter as though it was he who should have been affected by what had happened and that he was being foolish in expecting her to become aggrieved over such a loss.

"Are you expecting me to cry again?" She teased. "Oh, Peter. That was all just a bit of fun. I do like to have fun, you see."

The Doctor spoke up before Peter had a chance to respond.

"Is that what you call it?" He questioned. "Stealing faces, stealing lives…. If that's your idea of fun, Karina, then we have a problem."

Karina's eyes positively sparkled as the Time Lord stepped forward. With his hands tucked casually inside his coat pockets, he stopped just short of reaching her and Peter.

"Who are you?" She questioned. "You smell old and dusty."

"He's a Time Lord!" Karugon called out. "Kalagan said that -"

Stefan swiftly cut him off as he grabbed hold of the alien and pressed the barrel of his gun into his back.

"Shut up!" He ordered. "Not another word."

But Karina had already heard all that she needed to. Cackling with delight, she turned back to the Doctor.

"I thought you were just a myth? But I can hear the two heartbeats now." She marvelled. "Did Kalagan try and go after you and your form?"

"Through me, yes," Peter informed her. "It didn't end well for him."

"No, I suppose not." She admitted. "Kalagan never quite thought things through properly. When he said that he'd killed the man he'd transformed into and brought down the other human down here, I knew there would be consequences."

Rose wondered if this was Karina's way of apologising. Was there a chance of at least one of these creatures showing some remorse for what had happened?

"Where is Jane Wilson?" Peter questioned. "Is she still alive?"

Karina considered the question carefully.

"What if told that she wasn't? Would you kill me?"

Peter raised an eyebrow at the challenge.

"I killed Kalagan in self-defence and all the other members of your family died trying to murder innocent people. They attacked my men and were put down because of it." He told her. "But if you surrender yourself right now, no further harm will come to you or Karugon. You have my word on that."

But Karina seemed to have suddenly lost interest in negotiating with him. Her attractive head was tilted to the side as she studied the lieutenant in more detail.

"What about you, Peter?" She asked. "You don't smell like the others. You say that you know what humans smell like, but you don't share their scent?"

A line appeared down the side of Peter's face as his jaw clenched.

"Don't change the subject." He said. "Where's Jane Wilson?"

"You'll get her back when you tell me what you are."

"So she is alive?"

Karina said nothing and merely smiled at him. But she wasn't going to say another word until she got her answer, and Peter had already proven equally tight-lipped when it came to discussing anything to do with what he was.

They were not going to get anywhere, Rose realised.

"We're sorry about your family." She told Karina. "But if Jane is still alive, then we just want her back."

Any remaining shred of hope that the alien was capable of showing any form of empathy disappeared the moment Karina laid eyes on her. It was as though she was lining Rose up to be her next meal. Did she want to take her form, or was it simply that she just wanted to make a kill?

"You think I care about those weakling boys?" She hissed. "If they got themselves killed trying to get the best forms and showing off to one another then they have only themselves to blame. Their parents went the same way and I ended up getting stuck with them."

Despite the disgust Rose felt, she could in some small way understand where Karina was coming from.

How many times had the Doctor landed them both in trouble because he simply hadn't shut up? She could also recall one particular trip to A&E with Mickey after a failed attempt to impress her with a skateboard back when they'd been kids. But then she thought back to the baby creature that had almost killed Stefan. Did Karina not care at all about the infant at the very least? Perhaps she didn't realise that it was dead too, blasted away by Peter's shotgun.

The question came out before she could stop herself.

"Why? Why don't you care about them?" She asked. "There was a baby and -"

"Oh, my dear girl." Karina laughed. "Our kind can quite easily fend for themselves from the moment that we're born."

"Mother of the year, aren't you?" Peter quipped. "Don't tell me that you hold no value on anyone's life but your own?"

"Come now, Peter. You're making me sound so heartless."

"If I couldn't hear it then I would say you didn't have one." He rebuked. "So you wouldn't mind if I just went ahead and put a bullet in the back of Karugon's head?"

Karina's smile vanished as her eyes flickered over to her nephew.

"You'd be willing to execute him?" She questioned. "He looks just like you. Wouldn't it be like shooting yourself?"

"You think that bothers me?" Peter stated cooly. "Where is Jane Wilson?"

He didn't want to delay finding her. If Karina was a mirror image of Jane then she wasn't going to be in the best shape. Certainly, she would be dehydrated and exhausted at the very least and could have already quite easily died of exposure long before the creatures got round to killing her.

Also, he could sense that Karina was formulating a plan. She was scheming her way out of here, he was sure of it.

"She's in the ship." The alien admitted. "Alive, just about."

Despite gaining the information he'd wanted, Peter made no effort to move towards the spaceship. Karina manic smile returned as she plucked the very thought from his head. "Not very trusting, are you?" She giggled. "I suppose you want to know what I want in return?"

"Isn't the safe return of your nephew good enough?"

"No, it isn't. Because, as I've made it perfectly clear to you, he can look after himself."

"So what do you want?" The Doctor asked. "A long life, I suppose?"

A frown had appeared on the Time Lord's brow as he also sensed the looming danger.

"You think I want your ancient body, old man?" Karina ground back. "That is a male ambition amongst our kind. To acquire the longest life span available."

"Worked out for them well, didn't it?" Peter pointed out. "What do you want then, if not age?"

Slowly, almost to the point of seduction, Karina closed the gap between them. She hesitated when she saw the hand he was holding the gun with twitch in anticipation, but she continued when Peter did not raise the weapon any further.

Stood close enough to the lieutenant that she could now reach up and stroke his face if she wanted to, it was clear that she was enjoying all of the attention she was receiving. Rose could see how happy it was making the alien to have all of these men available to string along with her games.

It was making her angry.

"Beauty is only skin deep." Karina declared. "There's no point in living forever when you look hideous."

"That's it?" Peter scoffed with disbelief. "You want to look pretty?"

"Am I not in this body?" She replied. "In truth, I know she's in a bit of a state. Maybe a new form is in order?"

Rose flinched as Karina looked her way. There was no mistaking her intentions now.

"You leave her alone." The Doctor warned. "Karina, I am going -"

"Oh, I'm not done yet, Time Lord." She cut in. "I want one more thing first."

She turned back to face Peter. He was still only stood a few inches away from her, and his irritation was plain to see.

"What?" He growled. "What do you want?"

But he already knew what she was about to ask of him. It was the same question that had been floating around the entire night, one that even the Doctor and Rose wanted to hear the answer too. Already, a spark of fear had ignited within, and Peter knew that he couldn't avoid answering if it meant that Jane Wilson's life hung in the balance. He had to admit the truth and tell her what he was…

The only problem with that was that he didn't know. He'd never known.

"I'm waiting, Peter." Karina huffed impatiently. "Tell me what's hiding under that human face of yours?"

"I don't…"

Peter was surprised when Karina caught hold of his arm as she decided to explain herself. The alien's tone was almost kind and gentle and it did not suit her in the least. But she wanted a response from him, and she was determined to get it.

"You and I are kindred spirits." She told him. "These weak little humans and dusty old Time Lords are nothing compared to you and me. We hunt and kill without fear because nothing and no one else can compete with what we are. Bloodshed is our second nature, isn't it?"

It was enough to rattle anyone's resolve. Karina had spoken with such passion and excitement that it was obvious that stealing lives was not simply a method of survival to her. She enjoyed it and found the whole morbid business fun. Now she was forcing Peter into doing something he'd probably spent his whole life avoiding. Worst still, she was bargaining with an innocent person's life to get what she wanted.

Rose's no longer felt afraid of the alien. Now that Karina looked human it only made her look less intimidating and more like a crazed woman with nothing but vile words on her side.

"How dare you!?" She shouted at her. "Your whole family is dead and all you care about is messing around with us. Well, we're done playing, Karina. So give us back Jane Wilson."

It did not have the effect she desired.

As the last echoes of her voice faded away, Rose could see that Karina's amusement had not wavered. But it was as the Doctor turned her way with fear in his eyes that she realised the gravity of the mistake she'd made.

Karina already wanted her. Rose had simply just served up a very loud reminder of that.

"Well, aren't you a feisty one?" The alien purred. "So young, so pretty."

"You leave her alone." The Doctor growled. "Karina, whatever -"

"Oh, enough!" She moaned. "You're spoiling my fun."

Her gleaming eyes jumped to Peter. She was ready to hear his answer to her demands. But the steely, unwavering gaze she was met with told her what he was going to say and it was enough to make her sly smile falter.

"The only thing I am going to offer you is your life." He informed her. "Surrender now or I put you both down. Starting with your nephew."

"Karina!" Karugon whimpered. "Please don't let him -"

"But quiet, boy!" She hissed. "I will handle this."

The balance had suddenly shifted. She was no longer as confident or as detached as she had been before. Now that Karugon's life was in her hands and she faced the prospect of losing her own, she was far more reluctant to stand by and allow it to happen.

"You'll handle nothing," Peter told her. "Except your surrender."

Karina nodded with some reluctance.

"Yes, I suppose you win." She admitted. "You must be very strong to have taken down Kalagan and his other brothers. Very strong indeed. I wonder how strong, though? Could you break say… the bindings around your wrists?"

The glance she exchanged with Karugon warned Peter of the danger a split second before the meaning of her words registered with him. Instantly, he knew what was about to happen and cursed himself for not thinking about it earlier.

But it was too late.

There was a loud clink from the other side of the cave as Karugon broke apart the metal handcuffs that were binding his hands as if they had been made from plastic. He might have learned he was able to do it from watching Peter break the shackle on the table, or maybe he had felt some of the inherited strength coursing through his new muscles. It didn't matter now, Karina had given her orders and had chosen her moment perfectly.

What Karugon did next brought control of the situation back to himself and his aunt.

Thinking that the alien was simply trying to run away, Stefan had tried to stop him. But the alien had no intentions of going anywhere and was quicker than he was. Striking the corporal across the face, he grabbed him by the throat and wrapped his arm around his neck so that he could snap it just as easily as he'd broken Peter's leg.

"No!" Peter shouted, turning around. "Let him - "

A huge black mass of leathery muscle seized hold of him. Long claws were threatening his jugular but it was the tightening squeeze being applied against his windpipe that cut him off, forcing him to his knees as he was slowly and painfully being choked to death.

Karina's limb was no longer a human arm. It alone had transformed the moment Peter had turned his back on her.

"Oh, lieutenant." She chuckled. "Don't say that I didn't give you a fair chance. You should know to never turn your back on someone like me."

The Doctor had the sonic screwdriver in his hand. But both soldiers had dropped their guns when they had been captured and they were in such perilous danger that there was very little he could do. One wrong move and one or both men would be killed on the spot.

"Let them go!" Rose cried. "Please, don't do this."

Karina found her pleading very funny.

"Give me your blood and I'll think about it." She proposed. "Just a little sip, that's all I need."

Rose hesitated, but it was only for a second.

Peter's face was turning red and his eyes were beginning to roll. He was losing oxygen fast and Karina only had to tense her fist a little more before his neck broke. Behind her, Stefan was being held firmly in place by Karugon. The Doctor's inaction had already told her that he too was powerless to act. It was all up to her.

There was no denying the alien's hungry looks now, and she knew the consequences of her refusal.

"Okay, just let them go first." She begged. "I'll give you what you want."

"Rose…" The Doctor began. "She won't just take one drop."

"Hush now," Karina told him, eyeing Rose greedily. "She's doing the sensible thing."

Rose felt her foot take a step forward before the other reluctantly followed. She found herself walking towards what she hoped wouldn't be her own death.

"Rose… not another…" Peter tried to say. "Stay…"

Even now he was ordering her around.

Rose knew she couldn't obey him this time, even if she wanted to. If Peter and Stefan were killed she knew that herself and the Doctor, along with Jane Wilson, would not stand a chance in getting out of these caves alive. There was still the possibility, however, of them all living as long as Karina thought that she was going to get what she wanted.

But that gave Rose an idea. Well… it was more of a hope.

"Let them go first." She ordered. "You can have me, but let them go first."

Karina knew that she didn't have to compromise with her, but perhaps she sensed the difficulty of feeding on Rose whilst holding onto Peter as he continued to fight against her grip. He was getting weaker by the second but she still couldn't risk relaxing her arm just yet.

"Oh, very well." She agreed. "But just this one until I am done with you."

With a single throw of her arm, she tossed Peter aside like a discarded doll.

He landed hard and rolled over several times, his arms and face scraping badly against the rocky ground. Coming to rest on his stomach, he was coughing horribly and did not make any effort to get himself back up onto his feet.

Laughing at his pain, Karina stared down at him with an unimpressed look.

"How sad it is." She told him. "You are unwilling to embrace your true nature and are afraid of it. Even at the cost of defending your pack."

Peter didn't respond. He could barely breathe, let alone do anything to stop her. Utterly defeated, he didn't look up to meet with her cruel gaze.

Turning away from the lieutenant, Karina smiled again as she returned her attention to Rose and took a step towards her. Free of her captive, there was now nothing and no one left that she considered capable of preventing her from taking her new form.

She frowned when the Doctor stepped in-between her and Rose.

"Now that it is far enough." He told her sternly. "This is your last warning, Karina."

He still had the sonic screwdriver in his hand.

"What is that?" Karina questioned, spotting it. "That thing in your hand?"

"It's a screwdriver."

"So, it's not a weapon?"

"No." He said. "But it is very good at giving people headaches."

Peter's head shot up as his eyes widened with the realisation of what was about to happen. Even before the Doctor had raised the small metal tube up into the air, the lieutenant had already clamped his hands firmly over his ears.

This time Rose heard the noise that erupted out of the sonic screwdriver.

It sounded like a blaring alarm clock that did not have a snooze button. Horrendously loud, she felt as though her eardrums were going to burst. But then Rose saw that this was nothing compared to what it was doing to Peter and the two creatures.

The lieutenant's face had turned red again and was contorted with pain. Curled up in a ball on the ground, he was keeping his hands held firmly over his ears as he tried to block out the invading attack on his super-sensitive hearing. Karina had fallen to her knees, her one human arm and monstrous limb both protecting her skull against the audible attack.

But it was Karugon that had been the Doctor's real target. The alien had immediately let go of Stefan as he had stubbled away as though trying to somehow run from the terrible noise. He didn't even see the sucker-punch blow Stefan lashed out with as it struck him square in the jaw.

The alien was out cold long before he hit the ground.

Satisfied with the result, the Doctor lowered the sonic screwdriver and the noise stopped almost at once. There were only a few echoing remnants that lingered almost as long as it took Karina to come around to understanding what had just happened.

"What have you done!?" She shrieked, wincing as she stood back up. "Karugon, get up!"

"Oh, he won't be up for a while. Not after a punch like that." The Doctor replied, smiling in Stefan's direction. "Nice left hook, corporal."

The Time Lord barged past Karina without so much of a passing glance. The creature was too stunned to do anything, and right now she was the least of his concerns as he made his way over to Peter.

The lieutenant had managed to sit himself up and had taken his hands away from his ears. Droplets of blood had dribbled out, leaving small red trails running down his neck. The marks on his face and arms were already almost gone, as was the large ring of bruises around his neck. But it was the ringing noise still pulsating through his eardrums that was causing him the most discomfort.

"Ouch.." He remarked. "My head…"

Reaching him, the Doctor held out his hand.

"Come on, soldier. On your feet."

Peter didn't hesitate in taking it. Rather unsteadily regaining his feet, he nodded gratefully to the Time Lord.

"Thank you." He told him. "I should have… I didn't…"

He tailed off, shaking his head at his own mistakes.

"You have done more than most people ever could." The Doctor told him kindly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "No one would blame you for calling it a day."

Frowning as he looked back at him, Peter opened his mouth to argue. No, he was not finished yet, not whilst Karina and her twisted plans still threatened them all, and certainly not until Jane Wilson was rescued.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked him. "This isn't the time to be smiling, Doctor!"

The Doctor was grinning in the most peculiar and slightly smug way.

"No, but it is time for you to stop hiding how brilliant you are." He countered. "Peter Alexander Argent, you've come all this way with more than one hand tied behind your back and that ends right now."

"Doctor, I can't -"

"I know you have your reasons." The Doctor interrupted. "But right now we need it. We need you, Peter. Karina has had enough chances."

At the sound of her name being mentioned, the alien regained some of her crazed conviction that no one was capable of stopping her. Despite being outnumbered four to one, she cackled loudly as she turned to face the Doctor and Peter.

"What?" She giggled. "You think he's going to save you all? He is just a pathetic mutt who's afraid of his own shadow."

She was completely unhinged now. There was not a shred of humanity left and her human disguise was fading with every passing moment. Black leathery skin was slowly spreading over the pale pink as her face slowly started to stretch out wide, her chin almost on the verge of becoming a snout.

Something about this final insult triggered something within Peter.

It wasn't so much as a conscious decision, he was still so scared of taking that final step and giving away his secret. But then Karina turned her back on him and started to advance towards Rose and he knew that there was no more holding it in.

At the last possible moment, he issued his final ultimatum

"Do not turn your back on me, Karina!" He bellowed. "Take one more step and you are finished!"

Karina ignored him and did not turn around or stop. As a result, she did not see his eyes explode with yellow light...

At first, Rose didn't spot this either. All she could focus on was the nightmarish, still half-human looking monstrous creature stalking towards her. Jane Wilson's pretty face marred with fangs and bulging black eyes devoid of any conscious soul would have given her nightmares for years to come had she not been expecting to be torn apart any second.

Then she heard a snarling growl that did not belong to Karina.

The alien stopped curiously at the rumbling echo and watched as Rose's gaze drifted towards what had made such a sound. Seeing the human girl's mouth open wide with amazement rather than the fear that should have been expected, Karina finally turned back around to where the Doctor and Peter had been stood.

But Peter was no longer there. He had simply vanished, and what had taken his place was truly a magnificent sight to behold.

It was a wolf. An enormous wolf.


	18. Chapter 17

It was the size of a Shetland pony.

Underneath a glossy coat of charcoal-black fur were four powerful legs. The impressive muscles tensed tightly as the wolf crouched low towards the ground, its hackles raised all the way along its spine.

The pure and unrestricted fury coursing through the animal's shimmering yellow eyes was plain to see.

It was almost impossible to comprehend that such a unique gaze had belonged to Peter Argent just moments ago. Within the blink of an eye, he had transformed himself into a proud and dangerous beast that Rose would actually agree with the Doctor in being called beautiful.

Karina was both astounded and intrigued. But she was not yet frightened of him.

"Well now, look at you." She marvelled. "Not so much of a mutt after all."

It all happened so quickly after that.

The alien turned away from Rose, no longer interested in devouring her, and took a few tentative steps towards the wolf. What was left of Jane Wilson's appearance finally faded away as the monster hidden beneath emerged in its entirety. Karina then charged at Peter without warning, her long limbs covering the distance between them within seconds.

Stomping one of his huge paws down on the ground, Peter let out a roaring howl that reverberated all around the cave and stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Oh, that is magnificent!" The Doctor laughed. "Just look at him!"

Skirting around the two powerful shape-shifters, he had joined up with Rose and Stefan to watch from a safe distance.

Rose still couldn't believe what she was seeing. How had Peter managed to become something else entirely with such ease? Had it been that simple and quick for the creatures to transform? Was Peter even still in charge, or had the animal now completely taken over his consciousness? As strong as he looked, was he powerful enough to defeat Karina?

None of these questions made it out of her mouth, however.

"That's Peter!" She gasped. "Oh my god, that's Peter!"

The standoff did not last long. Peter and Karina came crashing together in a tangled mess of snapping jaws and deadly claws. Both of them were capable of inflicting serious damage to one another, and they were not merely sparring. This was a fight to the death.

The noise was simply deafening and there was no way of telling what the outcome was going to be.

Stefan was quickly becoming frustrated at not being able to do anything to help. Forced to stand on the sidelines he had resorted to shouting both encouragement and advice to his friend.

"Come on, Peter." He called out. "Pin her down. Go for the throat!"

The corporal hadn't even flinched at the sight of Peter's transformation. There was little to doubt that he had seen it before given how long he had known him and how equally secretive he had been over any signs of the lieutenant's alien nature.

"So, I guess I was right on all accounts." The Doctor mused. "How long have you…?"

"You want to do this now, Doctor?" Stefan bit back. "Watch those legs of hers, Peter!"

Karina was lashing out wildly with her front limbs as she tried to catch her opponent with the sharp talons that were protruding out from her toes. Whilst Peter's shorter height made it possible to duck under most of these attacks, he was finding it difficult to get close enough to her without running the risk of serious injury.

Despite the severity of the situation, Rose's curiosity was producing more and more questions. Like the Doctor, she couldn't resist trying to learn more even at this critical time.

"But you knew what he was, didn't you?" She asked Stefan. "Do the other soldiers -"

"Don't be ridiculous, Rose!" The corporal snapped at her. "You think this is something you go around telling the whole world about?"

He was getting worried now. Concerned for his best friend's safety was mounting and he was not use to seeing him fight like this. The scuffle between Peter and Karina was only going to end when one killed the other, and it was inevitable that the first decisive blow would land soon.

A high-pitched whine of pain cut through the air.

Peter had gone for Karina's throat and had almost managed to clamp his snout around it. But the creature had struck out at just the right moment and had caught him harshly down his left side as one of the claws pierced through the wolf's thick fur.

Sensing her opportunity as she felt Peter jerked back, Karina kicked him away with one of her rear legs.

It suddenly felt as though the end had arrived.

Knocked to the ground, the wolf was whimpering fearfully as he tried to get back up onto all four legs. But Karina wasn't going to give him the opportunity. Prowling towards him, she was ready to go in for the kill.

She didn't see Stefan run-up to her, but she certainly felt his knife as it sliced into her back.

It had been a masterful move that had been completely unplanned and might have only ever worked one in a million times. There would have been no second chances had the corporal not got it spot-on. He was already running towards Karina the moment that Peter had been injured, the knife out of its sheath and in his hand. But given the height of the creature, there was no way in which he could have struck her without leaping up and onto the alien.

As it turned out, however, Stefan Amell was very good at throwing knives with precision.

The toughness of Karina's hide might have been strong enough to deflect a round of bullets, but there was a chink in the armour in the form of a tiny fold of skin no bigger than a few inches stretching between her shoulder blades and her spine.

It was here that Stefan's knife landed and embedded itself nearly up to the hilt.

Writhing in pain, Karina stumbled away from Peter as she desperately tried to pull the offending item out. Finding this impossible as her limbs failed to reach far enough around, she instead decided to enact revenge upon the person who had inflicted it upon her.

The breath was punched out of Stefan as Karina spun around and struck him squarely in the chest, knocking him clean off his feet.

"Corporal, get out of there!" The Doctor shouted. "Move, now!"

Stefan barely had time to register what had happened, let alone plan his escape. Clutching his chest with one hand, he managed to push himself up onto his elbows just in time to see Karina hunkering down like a coiled snake that was about to strike him.

But the alien couldn't fight both of the soldiers.

The distraction had given Peter the time he had needed. With one bounding leap, he covered several metres and placed himself between Karina and Stefan.

Rose got the answer to one of her questions as she watched the wolf stand protectively in front of the corporal. He was defending him in a way that no wild animal would ever surely do. Peter was still in there, embodying the wolf as it equally embodied him.

Snarling at Karina menacingly, he was making his position clear.

The creature seemed to understand that she would have to deal with him first before she was going to be allowed to get near anyone else. But the knife protruding out from between her shoulder blades was causing her too much pain, and she attempted once more to reach around and pull it out.

It was a decision that cost her life.

Peter galloped towards Karina the second her head turned away from him. His strong jaw stretched out wide as he launched himself at her. Catching hold of the alien by the neck, he sunk his claws into the skin around her head and bit down hard. This time, he wasn't going to let go.

Karina went mad.

The creature thrashed around uncontrollably as blood began to spurt out. She was clawing and snapping ferociously as Peter continued to cling onto her throat. She scratched him many times, opening up fresh wounds, but the wolf was still refusing to relinquish his grip.

Soon enough, Karina's struggles began to waver and slow down.

Like a plastic biro pen being trodden on, there were a few tiny crackling pops before the alien's neck completely snapped. A sickening and definitive crunch followed before her body went limp and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

Peter waited a few more seconds before he let go of the creature. Backing away from her cautiously, he did not quite trust that she was dead. Karina's blood was dripping from his mouth, but he did not show any concern over this as he gave the large corpse one last sniff.

Then he transformed back into his humanoid self.

But Karina had left her mark despite his victory, and it became immediately obvious that Peter had been badly wounded in several places. His ability to heal did not stop him from feeling the pain of his injuries and most of the blood that could be seen through the tears in his clothes and on his face and arms was his own.

Collapsing to his knees, he keeled over just a few feet away from Karina's body.

"Peter!" Stefan shouted. "Damn it!"

His chest was still hurting him, and the corporal struggled at first to get back up onto his feet. But the need to help his friend quickly overtook his suffering and he was the first to reach the stricken lieutenant as Rose and the Doctor also rushed to his side.

"Is he okay? Rose gasped. "How bad is it?"

Peter was lying flat on his back with one hand placed his right side where the alien had sliced into him. Blood was trickling out from the wound, flowing between his fingers in tiny red rivers. His face was very pale and contorted with pain as every breath seemed to bring new discomfort.

The three-inch fragment of Karina's claw that had broken off during the fight was lodged in deep.

It was preventing the area surrounding it from closing up and healing. Peter's other injures were vanishing at an astonishing rate, so much so that it was possible to see the new skin growing over the old. The stark white chunk, however, was cutting into him again and again.

"Oh, that looks nasty." The Doctor tutted sympathetically. "Let's get it seen to."

Slipping off his coat, the Time Lord folded it up before he gently lifted Peter's head and slipped the garment in underneath so that it was cushioned against the rocky ground.

Peter didn't have the strength to protest. The pain was threatening to overwhelm him now and a sudden boat of coughing did nothing to help as the claw sliced into him once again.

"Aside from there, are you healing okay?" Stefan asked. "Does it -"

"J-just there, yeah," Peter replied shakily. "Need to g-get it out."

"We can't just pull it out." The Doctor pointed out. "If a piece breaks away inside you, it'll become trapped when the outer skin grows back over it."

"Do have to be such a know-it-all about everything?" Peter groaned. "Just get it…"

His jaw locked shut as a fresh bout of pain surged through him. Trying not to cry out, his back arched from the effort as his face flushed red from the effort. Just like when his leg had been broken, his grey eyes briefly turned yellow.

They changed back when Stefan laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Breath, Peter." He told him. "You're okay, but I've gotta take a look at it first before I do anything."

The lieutenant nodded in agreement as he managed to exhale a few deep breaths. But it all came surging back ten times as worse the moment the tips of Stefan's fingers made contact with the skin surrounding the wound.

"Ah! Oh, goddamn it!." He hissed. "She got me good, didn't she?"

"I dare say you got her better." The Doctor replied, smiling. "Your bite is worse than your bark, lieutenant."

Peter laughed at this and immediately regretted it as pain shot up through his side.

"Ouch! Don't make me laugh." He said, still half-smiling. "It hurts too much."

"Only because you've got a big bat creature's claw sticking out of you." The Time Lord remarked. "Now, speaking of which, let's get it out of you."

"I'm going to have to cut it out." Stefan decided. "The Doctor's right, if I try and pull on it then it might break apart."

His knife was still embedded deep in the back of Karina's body and it would not be removed easily, not to mention the bade would be covered in the alien's vile innards. Peter's, however, was still clipped around his waist.

Rose flinched at the idea of what Stefan was about to do as he unsheathed the weapon.

"You can't just cut into him." She protested. "What if you make it worse?"

Stefan did not take offence to this.

It wasn't an ideal situation. The knife was too large for such precise work and it would be very easy to nick an artery as he tried to carve around the claw. There was nothing to sterilise the weapon with either and Peter would have to endure it all without anything to relieve the pain. But they simply did not have the luxury of an alternative plan.

"Peter…" He began. "Do you -"

"I trust you," Peter told him. "Just do it, please."

Moving into the best position possible to make the incision, Stefan carefully peeled back the bottom of Peter's shirt.

With some reluctance, Peter moved his hand away from the wound. Dark red blood surged out for a moment, no longer being held back from escaping before it slowed back down to a steady dribbling. Anticipating the horrendous agony that was about to come, the lieutenant screwed his eyes shut.

But he looked back up with some surprise as he felt a hand close around his.

"It'll be okay," Rose told him sweetly as she held onto him. "You'll be fine."

Peter managed to return a weak smile of his own.

"Yeah, I know." He replied. "I've had…"

"Worse than this?" The Doctor guessed. "Back in Austria, perhaps?"

Stefan cut Peter off before he could respond.

"Don't get him started on that one." He ordered. "Now, no more talking. This is difficult enough without… Oh, Rose you need to let go of him."

"Why?" She challenged. "What's the harm?"

"Probably at least five broken fingers." He told her. "I've seen him crack open a metal padlock with that hand."

Remembering how Peter had pulled apart the buckle of the strap that had been holding him down, not to mention the chair leg he had broken off with a single kick of his foot, Rose decided that she did not want the same fate to befall her fingertips.

Though she reluctantly let go of Peter's hand, she did not move from where she was knelt beside him.

Stefan was looking grim now that the time had come to use the knife he was holding. He had never had to do anything like this before and was wishing dearly he had paid more attention during his onsite medical training. But there was no procedure for what he was about to do.

Peter's healing abilities worked in completely the opposite way to that of a human being's. Normally, the object shouldn't initially be removed to stop potential blood loss. Here, however, the claw had to come out for the injury to heal.

"I wish Emma was here," Stefan mentioned. "She'd do a better job of it."

"You're qualified enough," Peter told him through gritted teeth, closing his eyes again. "Now get it out, corporal. That's an order."

"Sir, yes sir." He replied jokingly. "Brace yourself, mate."

No matter how much preparation he'd given himself, Peter wasn't ready for the level of pain that came as the tip of the blade slid into his side. Bitting back a yelp, his body instinctively tried to jump away from it.

A pair of hands held him down by the shoulders, preventing him from moving again as Stefan continued to cut around the claw. He knew from their position that they belonged to the Doctor. But he didn't care right now as he heard the blood squelching out of him as it felt as though a red-hot iron bar was poking around inside him.

"Ah!" He hissed. "Son of a…"

"Nearly there, Peter," Stefan announced. "Just a few seconds…"

Had it been her, Rose knew that she would have been screaming her head off.

Throughout it all, however, Peter managed to hold it all in without much more than a flushed face and a few mumblings of discomfort. It was only when Stefan had managed to loosen the claw enough to slide it out did he emit anything louder.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at several of the words the lieutenant spat out as it was finally removed.

"Dear me, you need to watch that mouth of yours." He scalded playfully. "After all, there is a lady present."

"Never mind me." Rose laughed. "I've heard far worse on the estate."

Peter coughed out a laugh.

"I'll bet a heard worse at Sandhurst." He told her. "Stefan, did it…?"

"Out in one piece," Stefan confirmed. "Nice souvenir for you."

Peter opened up his eyes and saw the bloodstained but still intact claw his friend was holding. With a groan at the idea of keeping it, he shook his head firmly.

"Nah, I'm good."

There was certainly more colour in his cheeks now, and the blood had stopped flowing out of the wound as it began to heal. The damage inflicted was slowing up the process, but there was no doubting that he was on the mend.

Then something occurred to Peter that made him forget that he wasn't ready to sit up just yet.

"Whoa, take it easy." The Doctor told him, catching him as the attempt failed. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Jane Wilson!" He told them. "She's in that ship."

Karina had confirmed that much at least, but not whether she was still alive or not. After all, they had been through, to find out that the main focal point of their mission was dead didn't bear thinking about.

"I'll go, she can't be too far inside." Stefan volunteered. "Be right back, okay?"

"I'm coming with you." Rose declared. "You might need another pair of hands."

Nodding in agreement, Stefan turned back to Peter. The frown on his face was giving away the worry he had for leaving him in such a condition, but both soldiers knew that Jane would most likely be in an even worse state than Peter was.

"I'm fine," Peter reassured him. "I'm in good hands here. Go and find her."

With little choice but to leave him in the care of the Doctor, the corporal patted his friend on the shoulder before he got up and left for the creature's ship with Rose in tow.

Watching as the pair climbed up and into the main doorway of the wreck, disappearing inside it a moment later, the Doctor allowed the awkward silence to linger a little while longer before he spoke up.

He knew what had to be done next and had chosen his words carefully.

"All that anger, Peter. That wasn't you just getting stressed or worried, was it?" He questioned. "Holding back your abilities all the time because you're afraid people might see them, transforming only when you're alone. You did it when you were out looking for the creatures, didn't you? That was why you had dirt on your nose, why you didn't take your coat or gun."

Ordinarily, Peter might have shouted back at him. But the younger man was exhausted, still injured and longer had any reason to hold back his secrets anymore. They had all just exploded out of him, and there was no taking them back.

"I don't have a choice." He mumbled. "No one would understand."

"What about Stefan?"

"He's an exception. Him, Emma and my parents…. They're the only people that know."

The Doctor hummed in agreement as he puzzled over the man that was led down in front of him. Peter's reluctance was completely understandable. Humans were not the best species in the universe for accepting those different to themselves.

Yet, down here, without the risk of exposure, Peter had refused to name where it was he came from and had waited until the last possible moment to use his abilities.

Karina had asked for the information in exchange for giving up Jane Wilson, and still, the soldier hadn't wanted to comply. He had hesitated when it should have been of little consequence, especially seeing as he was something so amazingly strong.

"Karina asked you what you were, and you didn't say?" The Doctor asked him gently. "Why not? Peter, you are fantastic! I am just astounded that you didn't want her to know given…"

He stopped when he saw the downcast expression on Peter's face.

The Time Lord suddenly felt very stupid indeed. There was a very obvious reason why Peter had not yet shared his origins with anyone. "You were adopted." He stated. "You can't say what you are because you don't know."

"Less left on a doorstep. More crash-landed in a spaceship." Peter replied. "My parents… The people who raised me. They found it with me inside it on their land. No clues, no explantation… Just a scrap of paper with my name on it."

"Alongside that ring." The Doctor recalled. "Can I see it?"

Peter frowned at his sudden interest in it.

Carefully, with some protest from his throbbing side, he managed to push himself up into a sitting position. Taking a moment to catch his breath and allow the dull pain to subside a little, he turned to face the Time Lord.

"Why?" He asked. "What could it tell you?"

The Doctor smiled at him.

"A great many things, Peter." He said. "Because, as you told Kalagan, I am too clever for my own good. From the moment we met, I knew there was something different about you. The clues were all there, like a jigsaw puzzle inside my head. But until now I've been missing a piece, one final bit of information that I needed to work out."

Peter frowned at him suspiciously.

"Work what out?" He questioned. "Are you saying -"

"The ring, Peter." The Doctor requested, holding out his hand. "Please."

Hesitating briefly before relenting to his growing curiosity, Peter twisted the ring off his finger and passed it over to him.

"Good luck getting anything from it." He told him. "I couldn't even tell you what the stone is."

The Doctor smiled as he examined the ring in more detail.

His first impression was that the silvery band was heavier than expected, indicating a more hardened and precious metal. It had not lost any of his brightness over the years, the metal was without scratches or tarnishing despite being worn every day. More curiously, however, there seemed to be a circular pattern embedded within the beautiful deep blue stone.

There was something familiar about it. He knew that he had…. Yes! Of course!

Using the sonic screwdriver to confirm what he had already guessed to be the case, the Doctor then pocketed the device before he looked back up at Peter.

"What else would a wolf be wearing but a moonstone." He said to him, giving the ring back. "But... do you see those circles in the stone?"

Peter nodded as he looked down at the ring.

"Yeah, I've seen them before. Two of them, one slightly bigger than the other."

"The same as your tattoo." The Doctor pointed out. "Do you know what they mean?"

The same distinctive pattern was inked onto the lieutenant's right upper-bicep. He had clearly felt a connection to the design, even if he didn't quite know why.

"No, I don't. It was just something that I felt connected to." Peter admitted. "Gut instinct, you know?"

"That's because they're more than just symbolic. These circles are a very unusual occurrence that is only found in this particular kind of moonstone."

"But what do they mean, Doctor?" Peter asked. "What does it stand for?"

He was leaning forward now, completely transfixed by what the Time Lord might say next.

"Well, the story I heard was…."

Something heavy had just been dropped somewhere within the spaceship, a dull thud echoing out as it hit a metal surface.

"Stefan?" Peter called out. "What's going on?"

It was Rose's voice who responded instead.

"Sorry, that was me." She replied. "These bags are super heavy."

She emerged out of the craft soon after. Wearing one of the soldier's protective vests as she carried the other in one hand, she was out of breath from the effort of dragging the two large and very heavy backpacks behind her.

"Where's Stefan?" Peter asked. "Did you find Jane Wilson?"

"Y-yeah." Rose panted back. "She's in…"

Peter was already up on his feet and running over to the ship.

There was nothing left to show of his fight with Karina now, save for the torn clothing and bloodstains on his hands and shirt. Easily climbing up to where Rose was stood at the entrance of the spaceship, he did not stop to help her with the load and instead ran straight past her to see where Stefan and Jane were.

"Charming." Rose tutted. "Who said chivalry is dead?"

But she didn't mind one bit. Jane was still their priority, not some stupidly heavy equipment she couldn't imagine having to carry for five minutes, let alone the five or six miles Peter and Stefan had transported them over the course of the night.

Besides, the Doctor was by her side in an instant, smiling at her in a way that made Rose's heart flutter a little.

"Job well done, Miss Tyler." He joked. "We'll make a soldier of you yet."

"Fat chance!" She laughed. "Anyway, black isn't my colour."

Helping his companion bring the equipment down from the ship, the Doctor peered into the shadows of the craft.

But he and Rose did not have long to wait as Peter soon reappeared, jumping down next to them before quickly turning back just as Stefan emerged with a young woman draped across his shoulder. There was no questioning who it was. The red hair and slender figure was hauntingly familiar….

It was the real Jane Wilson.

Rose was beginning to fear the worst as she watched Stefan carefully lower the unresponsive girl down to Peter. The lieutenant carried in her arms over to where the Doctor's coat was still folded up on the ground, the same spot he had been lying just a few minutes ago.

The young woman didn't stir as he softly put her down.

Peter and Stefan were knelt next to her, frowns on both of their faces as they examined Jane's condition. She didn't appear to be injured, just a small cut on her cheek that had happened at least several hours ago. But the young woman had been trapped down here for over twenty-four hours, most likely without food or water. She was cold to the touch and her anorak was torn in several places, allowing the dank air to seep in underneath the thick layers.

There was no telling either what Karina had done to her. At the very least Jane would have been terrorised by the alien, and maybe she'd even…

Rose's heart sank to the pit of her stomach as Peter drew out a long, deep breath. No… surely she couldn't possibly…. He was shaking his head slightly as he looked down at the poor woman. Though identical in appearance, Jane looked like a ghost compared to Karina's wickedly gleefulness.

"How is she?" The Doctor asked. "What's the verdict?"

They had all come so far and invested too much to hear bad news right now.

"Not in the best shape at all." The lieutenant replied. "Severely dehydrated, exhausted and probably traumatised for life. There don't appear to be any injures but she's almost on the verge of hypothermia."

But despite the grim diagnostic, a smile had slowly begun to creep across the lips of the two soldiers. Being cold and scared were things that affected the living. You couldn't be thirsty if you were dead and, given Jane was could only mean…

"She's alive!?" Rose gasped. "Seriously?"

"Her pulse is a little weak, but she's still with us," Stefan confirmed. "Nothing that a bed and hot meal won't cure."

"Yeah, wouldn't mind one of those each myself." Peter agreed. "Who'd have thought fighting giant bats would be such hard work?"

He did not stay serious about this for long as he caught Stefan's eye. The two friends laughed at the same time, exchanging a hug and fist-bumping one another like a pair of schoolboys who might have just won a football match.

Caught up in the excitement and jubilation, Rose ran over and pulled the two men into a tight embrace.

"Sorry, it's just such good news." She told them. "Mission complete, at last. We can all get out of here. Isn't that right, Doctor?"

Rose's smile faded when she turned to face the Time Lord.

He was smiling, but it spoke of something that told Rose that not everything had been sorted out just yet. Their journey back to the surface was going to have wait as his serious brown eyes landed on Peter once again.

"You asked me what those circles on your ring meant?" He said. "It's a pack symbol with the circles representing strength. The individual wolf, that's the thinner band, can only have so much power on their own. But, combined with others, their ability to increase that potential grows a lot more."

Peter's mouth opened to speak, but the words momentarily failed him.

"I've never been part of a pack in my life." He stated. "Not unless you count my team, of course."

"But you hide who you are from them." The Doctor pointed out. "That isn't going to help you get any stronger. If anything it hinders you, prevents you from embracing who you're supposed to be."

"You're making it sound like destiny," Peter argued, snorting at the idea. "Sorry, but I can't afford to think that way when I'm around people who would consider what I am to be a monster."

"Mate, you're not a monster," Stefan told him supportively. "Me and Emma didn't run for the hills, did we?"

Peter smiled back at the corporal, but the point had still stood. He could never truly be at ease with what he was whilst living on a planet with a majority population that still didn't believe that aliens and other planets existed beyond the world of science fiction.

"No, you did not, corporal." The Doctor praised. "But why would you? You've known each other since childhood. You wouldn't stop being friends just because you found out Peter was a Nimarian wolf, would you?"

Everyone's mouth fell open at the same time.

Rose was the first to recover. Shaking her head at the Time Lord, she could not believe that he had not said a word up until now that he had figured out what Peter was. She knew he was clever and had seen him narrow down a species to their planet by asking less than half-a-dozen questions, but he really needed to work on how and when he delivered such vital information.

"How come you didn't say before if you knew?" Rose added. "You said -"

"That I had some possibilities in mind, yes." The Doctor agreed. "But, all those planets and species out there, Rose. Sometimes you've got to finish the jigsaw puzzle before you can see the picture it creates."

"But you can't possibly…" Stefan began. "None of us has ever known."

"That's because you're human. Okay, working for UNIT gives you a tiny bit more insight into the universe. But I'm afraid that you're stumbling around blind most of the time."

Stefan opened up his mouth to argue but stopped himself when he saw how pale Peter had become. The lieutenant hadn't said a word about hearing the name of his own kind for the first time. He didn't quite seem to know how to process it and was barely breathing.

Finally, he managed to exhale the lungful of air he'd been holding in.

"W-what… That's what I am?"

The Doctor hesitated. It was as though he had finally realised how potentially life-changing the information he was giving was going to be. Well… best explain it all properly then. Peter deserved that at the very least.

"Nimarian wolves, or Nimari as they're otherwise known. The name itself translates as noble… Nobility with a pure heart." He told him. "It's not as pretentious as it sounds. Compared to other kinds of wolves, they… you are very evolved and culturally very advanced."

"You sound as though you've met them before?" Stefan questioned with some distrust. "What about their planet?"

He knew he shouldn't be the one asked these questions, but Peter would want to know the answers himself. He could see it in his friend's eyes, the desire and need to know everything and anything about the world he had been deprived of his whole life.

"Valerus." The Doctor replied. "It means strong. This gives meaning to the species as noble, strong and pure. A mantra that's been adopted by the Nimari for thousands of years."

Peter didn't seem comforted by this. He only had one question on his mind right now.

"How far is it from Earth?"

The Doctor looked at him sadly.

"Very far." He said. "Half a universe away."


	19. Chapter 18

Rose didn't know what Peter had been expecting to hear.

Any planet beyond Earth would be impossible to reach given current technology made it possible for humans to only get as far as the Moon. But hearing the name of his world and species for the first time had sparked something within the lieutenant. It was more than he had ever known about himself in his entire life, more than he'd ever thought he could know.

It was enough to turn anyone's head.

"Peter?" Stefan ventured. "Are you…"

Flinching as he came out of his own thoughts, Peter's voice sounded much higher than usual and unconvinced of what he was saying.

"I'm fine. Just a bit of shock to hear it. Why did… Did something happen there?"

"I don't know." The Doctor admitted. "You being here in the first place is quite impossible."

"Could there have been a war or something?" Rose asked. "You know, like Superman? Maybe the planet…"

The way in which Stefan scowled at her as he shook his head made Rose shut herself up. Flushing red with embarrassment, she knew exactly why the corporal didn't want the conversation to proceed any further. The reason why Peter had been sent to Earth, and how that had happened might not be as honourable as protecting him from a conflict or a world on the verge of destruction. From the way the Doctor had described it, Valerus sounded like a very peaceful and well-established planet with no problems to warrant sending a child away from it.

"Well, no. There hasn't been a war there for… Oh, about a thousand years." The Time Lord confirmed, scratching his head. "Nimarians are a very proud people. They have a temper on them though, so don't think that anger of yours is unique. I've certainly learned my lesson not to cross you lot, that's for sure."

The attempt to make a joke fell flat.

Peter wasn't even trying to hide the crushing sense of bitterness and resentment as he realised that he had been sent away from a life and a possible family he would never get to know without even getting the reassuring knowledge of a why.

"I see."

Stefan empathised with his friend's pain.

"Peter, whatever happened. It doesn't change anything." He told him. "Who you are isn't defined by where you come from, mate."

Though Peter nodded in agreement, the kind words did nothing to bring him any comfort.

Why? Why had he gone and asked about something he'd been quite happy living without? His parents had told him pretty early on that he had been adopted, and it had never been an issue that had caused any problems. They had raised him and loved him as though he was their own.

The only thing they had failed to do was to tell him the exact circumstances of how and where it was they had found him all those years ago.

That had all changed just one week after his sixteenth birthday. He had transformed for the first time and they had all learned the truth about what he was. It hadn't stopped him living his life, however, and neither had it damaged his relationship with his parents or Stefan and Emma. They had all stuck by him, keeping his secret hidden better than he ever could have done on his own.

But with this new information came the sudden desire to erase knowing it in the first place.

Pushing away such unwanted thoughts and feelings was easier said than done. They were clinging to him like a bad smell and it was a struggle to focus back onto the job in hand, particularly Jane Wilson and her urgent need of a swift evacuation to the surface.

"We need to go." He decided. "Our extraction plan… We've got to get Jane out of here. She needs help and we have to get back to base."

"Sorry it wasn't the news you were looking for." The Doctor remarked. "But the strange thing is -"

"Doctor, that's enough." Stefan stepped in. "Peter's right, we need to get out of here."

His tone was as serious as his face. It was warning the Time Lord not to say another word on the subject, lest he risk facing the corporal's wrath. Peter had been hurt by what he had found out and he didn't want any more damage to be done from discussing the matter further.

"We'll split the vest and packs between us." Peter continued. "I'll carry Jane back, we should reach our entry point in less than an hour given we know the way through now."

"What about Karugon?" Rose pointed out. "Are we just going to leave him here?"

The lieutenant glanced over at the unconscious alien.

"No, we can't." He said. "Not when he could still pose a threat to people. We'll have to take him with up with us, hand him into UNIT for processing."

"But he looks like you." Stefan pointed out. "What if he can do the same things you can? UNIT aren't stupid, they'd figure out where he learned it from."

It was true that Karugon might be able to transform in a wolf… Well, a Nimarian wolf as it should really be called now. But Peter knew that they didn't have much of a choice. Morally, he couldn't just walk away and let the creature run amok in the New Forest. Despite his actions, Karugon had also lost his entire family in one night.

"It's okay, we'll find an explanation. We always do." He assured his friend. "Maybe the Doctor can take him somewhere he'd be safe?"

"Safe?" Stefan questioned. "You do remember when he was threatening to break my neck?"

"Just as clearly as I remember him breaking my leg. We follow the rules, Stefan. We show him mercy and hope that he can learn from it."

The Doctor smiled at the lieutenant.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." He told him. "I'd be happy to take him off your hands. Might need an escort though, just for the journey."

"We can arrange that once we're back at base. I'm sure UNIT can spare a couple of squaddies to make sure it's a smooth trip." Peter agreed. "Some of them would be happy to volunteer. Travelling in the TARDIS is on a lot of people's bucket list."

"Is that so?" The Doctor mused. "Why don't you come along yourself? You know the prisoner and afterwards, we could always go and see… You could come and…."

It wasn't often that the Time Lord struggled to find the right words and his hesitancy prompted suspicion as Peter's brow creased into a frown.

"Are you suggesting that I go to Valerus?" He questioned. "You want to take me there?"

The Doctor seemed surprised that Peter was reacting to the offer with hostility. Realising that he might have made a mistake, he attempting to brush the whole thing off as a casual remark as he blew out a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Don't you want to? You might find some answers and -"

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Stefan snapped at him. "Now enough is enough, Doctor. We need to get out of here."

He was angrier than Peter was, enraged that the Time Lord was daring to defy him and continuing to pour more salt into the wounds he had already inflicted. But offering to take Peter away in the TARDIS to uncover a Pandora's box of his long-forgotten past had been the last straw and was something that the corporal simply wasn't going to tolerate.

"Sorry, Stefan. But this isn't your choice to make." The Doctor stated. "Peter shouldn't be on Earth in the first place. It is impossible."

The two soldiers looked confused.

Perhaps it had never occurred to either of them that the likelihood of Peter making it to this planet was so slim. They also worked for an organisation that put them in daily contact with creatures and species from across the universe and maybe because of that they had lost any notion of strangeness or improbability at such encounters.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked. "How is it impossible? I came here in a spaceship, I already told you that."

"I've seen it," Stefan confirmed. "A big round silver one with one door that has a porthole window. There's still a big crater in the woods behind his house from when it crash-landed."

"Didn't anyone notice?" Rose asked. "Someone must have seen something like that?"

"I live in the middle of nowhere, Rose," Peter explained. "But it also happened to be Bonfire Night and my parents passed off the damage as a stray firework. The next morning my dad dragged the ship into his shed and it's been there ever since."

But the Doctor knew that this was only the concluding part of the story. Somewhere in-between Peter leaving Valerus in his vessel and arriving on Earth something had happened that was quite beyond anything he had ever encountered before.

"What you're describing isn't a spaceship." He said. "I know this because the Nimari species won't have them for another five hundred years. The escape pod you travelled here in can't even make it from one end of the planet to the other, let alone get you to Earth."

Peter shook his head at this.

"Escape pod?" He asked. "An escape pod belonging to what?"

"The only form of aircraft Valerus has. Try to imagine a large clipper ship with sails infused with solar-panels. Valerus is quite a sunny planet, you see. But they're pretty rare and aren't normally used for public transportation." The Time Lord replied. "The pods are designed to drop off the side of it and fall straight to the ground. No engines, no controls. Nothing in which to pilot it with."

With more questions than answers coming at him, Peter couldn't even imagine what had transpired all those years ago. He'd only been three months old when he had left Valerus, so why was he on a ship in the first place? More pressingly, however, how did a pod not designed for space survive the journey to Earth with him tucked safely away inside it?

Something Kalagan had said suddenly echoed back to him.

"The creatures here told me that they were in travelling in space and were suddenly transported down here." He told the Doctor. "It was some kind of electric storm and…"

The Doctor was quick to reject the idea.

"Highly unlikely." He declared. "They were in space already and are from several hundred years into the future. You might be a long way from home, but you haven't travelled through time, Peter. Also, you'd have still been on Valerus. That storm wouldn't have been anywhere near you."

"You know that for certain, do you?" Stefan challenged. "Lightning could have struck twice. The lightning the creatures described -"

"Might not have even happened. They were probably wrong about what they saw, lost and confused because -"

"How can you say that when you weren't there yourself?" The corporal continued to argue. "Doctor, you're very clever, but maybe you don't know everything."

The Doctor took the remark like a personal insult.

"I'm Time Lord, Stefan. There's isn't much I didn't know, especially when it concerns time travel. Peter hasn't travelled in time, because if he had then I would have picked up on it when I scanned him earlier and -"

"You scanned me?" Peter accused. "When? Why were you -"

"Because I was curious!" The Time Lord shouted over him. "Goodness me, Peter. I thought you were smart enough to realise that by now. Haven't you learned anything from tonight? Then again, maybe you're happy living on Earth in complete ignorance?"

He regretted the words as soon as he said them.

Peter was actually very clever and it was certainly not his fault that he had grown up not knowing anything about his heritage. Neither had he been given the choice of leaving Valerus in the first place. But the damage had already been done and what little respect the lieutenant had acquired for the Doctor vanished in an instant.

"Well, I'm glad I could elevate your boredom for one night, Doctor." He said in a surprisingly steady voice. "As for your… offer. I'm going to have to decline."

Stefan jumped in before the Doctor could open his mouth to speak.

"Don't say anything else." He growled. "Not one more word."

Burning with questions and information he'd not yet shared, the Time Lord looked to Rose in the hope that his companion would take his side on the matter. But she caught his eye and shook her head at him.

"Best not." She said. "Let's just go."

Her words were like a trigger.

Stefan took it upon himself to walk over to the pile of equipment that had been left by the spaceship. Kneeling beside it, he began to take stock and ensure that the large backpacks were ready for the journey back up to the surface.

Peter had gone to retrieve his gun from where he had dropped it after Karina had grabbed him.

He wasn't surprised in the least when the Doctor followed him over. The Time Lord wasn't going to give up just because they were telling him too, he was far too stubborn for that.

The Time Lord also wouldn't quit until he'd gotten to say everything that was on his overworking and overstimulated mind.

"What do you want, Doctor?" He sighed wearily. "Because I am tired and it's been a hell of a day."

"I know." The Doctor acknowledged. "But if it was me, I would want to know what happened."

"Well you're not me, are you?" Peter bit back. "Look, I'm glad you told me what I am and where I come from, Doctor. Really, I am. But what is the point going back to a world I've never known? Twenty-three years might be a short amount of time for you, but it's been a lifetime for me. Valerus isn't my home, Earth is."

"Valerus is in your blood. So is being a wolf and -"

"Stop saying wolf like you know what it's like to be one!"

Peter's eyes turned yellow again as his Nimarian temper ignited.

Once more, it was Stefan who calmed the situation down. Leaving the equipment where it was, he came running over and put himself between the Doctor and his friend. Nothing was said about it but he was making it clear that he wouldn't allow the discussion to continue any longer.

"Peter and I can manage Karugon between us." He said. "Doctor, you carry Jane out whilst Rose carries my backpack. I've already put everything we're going to need into it."

The Doctor thought about arguing back but Peter was already walking away, heading off in the direction of Karugon.

The alien had become less than an afterthought given all that had been going on. Stefan had knocked him out with a single blow and he was going to be a heavy load to carry all the way back. Still, at least he wasn't awake to cause any more trouble.

"That's fine, Stefan." Rose agreed. "We're happy to help. Aren't we, Doctor?"

The Doctor merely hummed in response. He was still staring at Peter.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice," Stefan replied. "Now, we're going to struggle to get up that hill. But if we're careful then… Peter, look out!"

It wasn't clear at which point Karugon had woken up.

Between fighting Karina, finding Jane alive and the revolutions and ensuing arguments which had followed, nobody had realised that the alien had just been pretending to be unconscious.

Peter was knelt right next to him when the creature made his move.

He struck the lieutenant in the temple with a solid left hook, sending him crashing to the floor. But Karugon did not attempt to flee and instead choose this moment to enact his revenge on the person who had ended the lives of his brother and aunt.

Peter had barely hit the ground before Karugon grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted him up and off of the ground. The alien's knee collided with his chest and he was dropped again. Winded and bruised, Peter was dimly away that Stefan was shouting something.

"Karugon, stop! Stop right now or I'll shoot!"

Stefan had retrieved his gun and was holding it firmly out in front of him, the barrel pointed squarely at Karugon's head. The creature still looked like his best friend, but to Stefan it didn't matter. He wasn't fooled and wouldn't allow Peter's life to be put at risk by any hesitancy on his part.

Stopping his assault, Karugon twisted around to face him.

But even this small distraction was enough for Peter. With newfound strength, he leapt to his feet and drew out his gun. He didn't want to use it, there had already been too much bloodshed tonight, yet he wasn't about to give the alien room to try anything else.

"Karugon, look at me." He said. "Stop now and we can -"

The creature lunged for him before he could say anything else.

Unprepared, Peter didn't have a chance to bring up his gun and they were suddenly locked into a battle for it as Karugon grabbed hold of his wrist as he tried to wrestle it from him. Peter tried to pull back, but their strengths were even now, and Karugon had not spent the last nine hours fighting against a pack of homicidal predator bats.

BANG!

The gun went off as a bullet was fired straight into the air. Peter felt the weapon slip from his grasp and knew it was now beyond his reach. Distracted, he wasn't watching his footing and tripped clumsily over his own feet. Karugon fell with him and landed on his chest, knocking the breath out of Peter once again.

Another gunshot ran out and suddenly the alien reeled back, howlingly in pain as he clutched a bloodied shoulder.

"Ah!" He roared. "Pathetic human!"

Stefan advanced towards Karugon a little more as he kept the gun he'd just fired aimed at him.

"Last chance, Karugon." He ordered. "Get away from him and surrender yourself!"

The alien hissed and jabbed an accusing finger down at Peter.

"He killed my family!" He wailed. "He deserves to die!"

"It's true, I am responsible for their deaths," Peter admitted, holding his hands aloft as he lay on the ground. "But, believe me. I didn't want it to go down like this."

"Then why did you do it!"

Slowly, so as to not at agonise Karugon further, Peter got back up onto his feet.

"They all died trying to murder people." He said. "I had to stop them."

"Why? Why do you care for these people? You're not even human."

"Neither am I." The Doctor said, stepping forward. "But Peter and I… We consider this planet to be somewhere we can call home and we want it and its people safe."

He exchanged a look with the lieutenant and was pleased to see him nod back in acknowledgement.

"Karugon, I get it. You feel compelled to do things because your family do them too." Peter continued. "But being something doesn't have to define you. There's a balance you have to find between who you are and who you can be. Killing as they did, that doesn't have to be you."

"You're going to kill me if I surrender." Karugon accused. "Aren't you?"

"Karugon, I could have killed you twice over by now," Peter told him. "But I haven't because I know you can be better than this. But you want proof of my word, fine. Stefan, holster your gun. Put it away right now."

Stefan did as he was told without hesitation. Understanding the gesture of goodwill Peter was trying to achieve, he put away his weapon.

"What is this?" Karugon spat. "What trick are you playing on me?"

"I'm not," Peter replied. "Come with us now and no harm will come to you. We can even get you off this world, somewhere you can start anew."

The Doctor nodded in agreement as the lieutenant looked over at him expectantly.

"Yes." He said. "I can take you anywhere in the universe. If that's what you want?"

Rose held her breath as she watched the alien appear to ponder over the Doctor's offer. Mercy seemed to confuse him. His aunt hadn't exactly been the loving maternal kind, and maybe this was the first time he'd been shown a genuine kindness.

"What I want..." He began, looking up at Peter. "Is your blood!"

Peter's hands had been held up in surrender and he'd had no chance to defend himself. Pushed to the ground, he felt Karugon's hands close around his throat.

Gently, as though he was enjoying what he was doing, the creature began to squeeze and Peter could feel himself slowly being strangled as he flailed his arms around uselessly, blindly searching for something solid to grab onto.

Seconds became a lifetime, but his finger suddenly closed around the cold carbonised metal of his gun.

The weapon had landed just inches away from him, and Peter didn't even think about it as he slammed the handle into the side of Karugon's head. Feeling his crushing grip instantly relinquish itself from around his neck, Peter lashed out with his fist and jerked his body up at the same time so that Karugon was unbalanced and stumbled away from him.

With the last of his strength, he staggered to his feet and took up a combat stance before delivering a powerful kick to the alien's chest. The strength of the blow sent Karugon flying through the air and the creature came crashing down several meters away.

The two rucksacks he landed on cushioned his fall.

"You think this is over!?" He cackled with delight. "You haven't got the strength left in you to stop me."

Peter knew that he was right.

He was too tired to transform into a wolf again and he would never be able to bring Karugon down in the same way he had with Karina. His only options were the gun in his hand or try one last time to negotiate with the alien.

But seeing the black skin begin to spread over the creature's face made the choice clear for Peter.

"Twice I could have killed you, Karugon." He replied. "This makes three, and on this world, that's all you get."

If Karugon found his choice of words strange then he didn't time in which to try and make sense of them. Peter's gun swung up and a single gunshot was fired. For a moment, it was as though time itself had frozen still.

Karugon and the two rucksacks vanished, consumed by a ferocious explosion.


	20. Chapter 19

Smouldering ash and a few fine threads of charred black material.

That was all that was left of Karugon and the two rucksacks. They had been completely obliterated as the entire cave trembled from the explosion. The blast had been powerful enough to punch a sizeable hole in the lower half of the spaceship stood just a few meters away. Rocks had dislodged from the roof, creating new dents in the roof as they plummet down upon the craft.

How could Peter have caused so much destruction with a single bullet?

"W-what… What the hell!?" Rose exclaimed. "What just happened?"

She was far away enough not to have been thrown to the ground, but her ears were still ringing. Her voice sounded muffled and distorted as though it was miles away from her body. Stefan's response was just as inaudible, but Rose caught snippets and mostly understood what he was trying to tell her and the Doctor.

"Grenades…" He explained. "Peter… a few… his pack. Just… a precaution."

"That's one way of putting it." The Doctor stated. "Come on."

Peter had been knocked off his feet, but he had sat back up by the time they reached him.

There were fresh trails of blood dribbling down from his ears. He was swaying slightly, dizzy and unfocused as he slowly came back around to his surroundings again.

"Hang on, stay still," Stefan told him. "Let me look."

Gently, he took hold of Peter's head and guided it in line with his. Holding up a single finger the corporal then began to move the digit back and forth as Peter obediently followed with his eyes. Able to do this without issue, he did wince when Stefan moved his head in each direction so that he could examine his friend's bloodied ears.

A few clicks of his fingers next to each of them told the soldier that Peter had not gone deaf as he reacted to the sharp sound both times.

"I'm fine." Peter insisted. "Just forgot how loud those things are."

"Yes, well it would have been nice to have had a little warning," Stefan remarked. "You're supposed to do that before you use them, Peter."

"Eh... No harm done."

"Try telling that to Karugon and all of our equipment."

Peter grinned back at his friend and shrugged apologetically.

"Collateral damage in an otherwise successful mission."

CRACK!

Already weakened by the creature's excessive digging, the remaining structure of the cavern was not as stable as it appeared to be and the shockwaves caused by the explosion had been too much for it. A boulder the size of a house came hurtling down and landed right on top of the spaceship.

Tearing through the metal framework as though it were made of tinfoil, the craft was bent and twisted beyond all recognition.

A huge cascading flow of water then came surging in from above.

"Where is that coming from!?" Stefan exclaimed. "We're underground!"

Peter swore very loudly as he remembered what he had been told about their location.

"We're also standing under a river," Peter informed everyone. "Kalagan said that's why they didn't dig straight up from here."

Stefan rounded on his friend, suddenly angry at him for this withheld piece of information.

"What, and you didn't think to mention that!?" He shouted over the noise of the gushing water. "You just set off several grenades, Peter!"

"I know I did!" Peter yelled back. "But funnily enough I wasn't planning on doing it!"

"That's enough." The Doctor intervened. "We need to get out of here, right now."

No one disagreed with him on this.

The river would eventually run dry, but there was potentially miles and miles of water about to pour down onto them. At best they would become trapped in the cave and freeze in the icy waters, and at worst it would go above their heads and leave them all treading water for as long as they could before fatigue set in and they would drown.

No rescue would come on time. UNIT wouldn't even know where to start looking.

"Stefan, grab that torch and guide us out," Peter ordered. "I'll take Jane and bring up the rear. Doctor and Rose, you stay between us at all times."

Grabbing one of the torches that had been left abandoned on the ground, Stefan made sure it was working before rejoining the Doctor and Rose as Peter sprinted over to where Jane had been put down. Incredibly, she was still unconscious after all this time.

It was probably for the best, Peter thought.

Hoisting her up and draping the woman over his shoulder, he stumbled slightly as the ground underfoot shook. More and more of the roof was breaking away, allowing even greater volumes of the river to pour in. Within minutes it would be reaching their ankles.

Then the unthinkable happened.

"Get back!" The Doctor shouted. "Stefan, stop!"

The Time Lord caught hold on the soldier's arm and pulled him back in the nick of time.

The tunnel leading back up the steep hill Peter and Stefan had fallen down was their only way out. The corporal had been about to lead them into it when the opening caved in on itself, large boulders stacking up until there was not even the smallest of gaps in which to get through.

"We'll shift the boulders." Peter quickly decided. "Here, help me put her down."

Between him and Stefan, they managed to sit Jane up against the wall next to the tunnel.

The two soldiers and Rose all then tried to create a way through. But it quickly proved impossible, and it was Stefan who became the first to realise the futility in continuing any longer.

"Even if we get through here, the whole network could have become unstable." He reasoned. "We can't risk going into an enclosed space. There could be another cave in and we'd get buried."

Rose had never thought that water could be so loud. The sheer volume that was now gushing in from the surface above was truly staggering. It was as though an entire ocean was rushing in to greet them. It had already reached every part of the cavern and was now on the rise.

"If we don't get out of here now." She shouted above it. "We're going to drown!"

But there was no way out. They were trapped.

Almost as though it were taunting them, a dim ray of sunlight could be seen poking through the waterfall. Creating a rainbow hue, it was illuminating the cave in a beautiful way that might have been admired had the cavern not posed the looming threat of becoming their tomb.

"No." Peter insisted, shaking his head. "No, we are not going to drown. We are going to get out of here, alive. There has to be a way!?"

But no solution came. No terrific thought or idea of brilliance manifested itself. Not for lack of trying or a will to live, but perhaps it was because there was no way out. They might die down here. The water level had already reached the tips of their heels.

A terrified shriek rang out and made them all jump.

Perhaps revived by the water as it seeped in through her trousers, Jane Wilson woke up in a complete panic. Yelling and kicking out wildly, the impact of her ordeal became obvious as she instantly tried to get up onto her feet and run away.

"No!" She screamed. "No, don't come near me!"

"It's alright," Rose told her. "You're safe. We're here to help you."

"No, you're all monsters!"

Weak and unsteady, the rising water did little to help Jane get a proper footing and she collided headlong into Peter. He barely moved as he caught hold of her and did not relinquish his grip even as she lashed out at him a few times to get away.

"Miss Wilson, listen to me." He said calmly. "Listen to me."

But Jane would not listen and was screaming now, fighting as though her life depended on it.

"No!" She sobbed. "You killed Tom. Y-your going t-to kill me, aren't you!?"

"I am most certainly not going to kill you." He replied. "My name is Peter Argent. I'm a lieutenant with the British army."

Jane had kicked him a few times and left a large scratch on his arm, the red marks vanishing almost instantly. But now the distressed woman's head was buried in his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Finally, she looked up at him.

"Y-your not...?" She tried to say. "You're..."

"I'm part of a team sent to rescue you," Peter told her. "Look, see?"

Rose gave a little wave as Jane looked her way.

"My name's Rose." She told her. "It's Jane, isn't it?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm..."

Words dissolved into more sobs as she began to cry again. Stepping away from Peter, she buried her face in her hands. Wasting no time, Rose waded over her and wrapped her up in her arms as she began to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about anymore.

"It's okay." She told her. "Shush, you're safe."

But although the cave had stopped collapsing in on itself, the water level was continuing to rise. It was now on its way up towards their calves.

"We are far from safe," Peter growled. "Doctor, what the hell are you doing over there?"

The Time Lord was stood where the edge of the large pool of water had once been. It was concealed now because of the rising water, but he had carefully navigated his way over to its boundary and was looking between it and the collapsed roof above.

"Do you see that?" He asked, pointing up. "There's sunlight."

"Sun would have come up about an hour ago." Stefan pointed out. "Why is that important?"

The Doctor smiled with confidence.

"Because sunlight means there's a way out of here." He replied. "Come over here and look at this."

Puzzled by the Time Lord's optimism, everyone obeyed and navigated their way over to him.

"If you're suggesting that we climb up there, Doctor?" Peter growled. "Otherwise how are we getting out of here?"

"O ye of little faith, Peter Argent." He chastised. "That would be ridiculous. No, our way out is down there."

He pointed down at the surface of the water straight in front of him.

From this angle, it was possible to see the different hues of the water as it grew darker and murkier the deeper it went. But somewhere deep below was a small, isolated patch of a lighter colour that seemed to have captured some of the sunlight's reflection.

"It's just the sun bouncing off it." Stefan decided. "A trick of the light."

"No, it's not." Peter disagreed. "It's too deep and the sun rises in the East. It's pointing the other way."

He was right. The bright ray of sunlight was illuminating the remains of the spaceship and the wall behind it, the golden light was nowhere near the pool of water and couldn't be causing the shimmering patch they could all see.

"I thought the air was cooler in here," Rose remembered. "That's because there's another way out!"

The Doctor beamed at her.

"You noticed straight away." He praised. "The only problem is that it's underwater."

Those torn away parts of the spaceship that were light enough to float had begun to bob around the cave, scraps of debris and scraps of metal being tossed around as the water continued to rise.

"We'll just have to swim through it," Peter announced. "We've got the torch and… Well, we have my eyes too. We can do it."

Jane was still holding on tightly to Rose's hand. Trembling from head to foot, she didn't look best pleased with the idea of undertaking such a dangerous means of escape.

"W-what if we g-get lost?" She protested. "We'll drown!"

"We'll drown if we stay here." Peter countered. "Look, I'll go first and come back. Either there's a way out or there isn't."

"Peter, we don't have a guide rope," Stefan told him. "If you get stuck or lost down there on you're own..."

He didn't have to speak of the consequences. Divers always went in pairs, and they had the luxury of oxygen and other navigational equipment. Peter only had his lungs and a determination to survive.

"I know, but we don't have a choice."

Unclipping the radio from his belt, Peter also removed his gun and its sheath. Such bulky items were not needed and could catch against something if his route out was as tight as he was imagining it was going to be.

The lieutenant handed them both over to the Doctor.

The Time Lord took the radio but hesitated over accepting the weapon from him.

"Oh, I don't like guns." He moaned. "Really, I don't."

"Well, you're going to have to look after this one," Peter told him, thrusting the weapon into his hands. "At least until I get back."

It was how he said it that made the Doctor accept the gun. There was a hint of fear in the younger man's voice which spoke of the risk he was about to take. A great deal of self-confidence was required, along with a level of bravery few possessed.

"Good luck, lieutenant." He told him.

Peter responded with a nod before he turned back to face the large pool of water. He didn't know how far the tunnel went on for, or if it was even passable. But there was sunlight, and that was motivation enough for the moment.

"Peter, this is ridiculous." Stefan protested. "At least let me go down with you."

Peter smiled at his friend. It was typical of Stefan to want to be at his side, ensuring whatever dumb plan was running through his head went off without issue and ended up working out as intended.

"No, one of us needs to stay up here." He said. "Besides, better me than you. Emma would kill me otherwise."

"She'd kill us both," Stefan responded. "But I guess there's no stopping you."

"No, there isn't. Wish me luck."

Not trusting himself to delay the inevitable any longer, Peter sprang forward and dived headfirst into the water.

At first, he could see nothing but a swirling cycle of bubbles as the world above him vanished, taken over by the darkness of the water. Then, as though someone had lifted back the curtain, he was able to make sense of his new surroundings.

Above him was lighter and below was pitch black save for the singular patch of light he was aiming for. Simple enough perhaps, but lifesaving as far as he was concerned. One of the main causes of drowning was people becoming disorientated and not knowing which direction to swim for.

At least the coldness of the water wouldn't be a problem.

Being what he was, Peter had discovered that after his first transformation he had begun to function with a slightly higher body temperature. As a result, he was far less susceptible to the cold than humans were and was grateful for this side effect right now.

The cold would slow him down, sap his strength and force the oxygen out of his lungs more quickly as the pressure on his chest grew with every passing moment he spent underwater.

Still, Peter could not hold his breath forever. Although he was protected from the freezing waters, it did not exclude him from having a limited lung capacity.

He continued to swim down, towards the ray of sunshine that was their only hope of survival. As he neared it, the wall of the cavern loomed out of the darkness to greet him and he could now see where it was he needed to head towards.

The entrance was circular, like a gaping mouth. This impression was heightened when Peter swam closer and looked inside. The cave hadn't always been underwater and, over a period of time that must have been in the thousands of years, stalactites and stalagmites had grown.

Peter could not remember which was which as he stared at the needle-sharp spears that were hanging down from the ceiling and protruding up from the floor.

But even at this distance, something was menacing about the cave that gave him the chills, even if the water could not. It was like looking into the open mouth of some giant, undersea monster. He could almost imagine the stalactites and stalagmites biting down, the whole thing swallowing him up.

But he had to go in. People were going to die otherwise.

From the moment Peter had vanished below the surface, Stefan had begun to time how long it was he had been gone. Announcing every minute that passed without any sign of his friend's return, the corporal had grown ever the more agitated.

"Three minutes." He had announced, consulting his watch. "Three minutes and counting."

"Is Peter a good swimmer?" Rose dared to ask. "How long can he hold his breath for?"

"Yeah, he's pretty good. If anyone can find a way though it's him."

Rose noticed that he had avoided her second question. But she couldn't blame him for doing so, not when the thought of Peter not making it back was such a daunting prospect.

She shuddered at such a grim thought.

"Most humans can hold their breath for a minute, maybe two." The Doctor said. "But I think with enough practice and a good deal of fitness, there's no reason why that can't be extended to five or six…. Eight or nine is even possible, yes."

"Is Peter any different?" Stefan question suddenly. "What he is, does the make a difference?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"I don't know, I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "Might be the same, might be more. Might be less."

Jane might have found this strange had it not been for the fact that the water level was now up to their knees. She couldn't even fathom how a weekend getaway had resulted in any of it. Aliens, an underground labyrinth and people who seemed to take it all in their stride… She just wanted to be back home.

"H-he seems s-strong." She stuttered. "I think he'll m-make it."

"He will, Jane," Stefan told her as he checked his watch again. "He has to. Four minutes. Come on, Peter."

The next three minutes passed very quickly, and after that, it seemed each one dragged by deliberately slow in order to torture them as much as possible. Peter did not resurface even after the ten-minute mark came and went. Eleven minutes… Twelve minutes… Thirteen…

Time passed them by with a deafening silence.

The Doctor's maximum estimate of the lieutenant's lung capacity was now relying on Peter now being on his return journey. Any longer meant that he had run into difficulties, that he had become lost or stuck and he would not be coming back at all.

The reality of this was weighing heavily on Stefan as he continued to count the seconds as they ticked by.

"Maybe he stopped at the surface?" Rose suggested. "Just to catch his breath before he came back."

Stefan shook his head.

"Peter wouldn't linger." He said. "Not when he knows we're in danger. Fourteen minutes…"

"I could be wrong." The Doctor admitted. "Peter will be fine."

"What if he isn't? What then!?"

It was a rare slip of composure for Stefan. He was a military man, used to keeping calm even under the highest of pressured of situations. But the thought of losing his best friend to such a horrendous fate was beginning to seep into any sense of optimism that was left.

For once the Doctor had no answer to give.

The water was up to their hips now. Soon they would no longer be able to remain standing up and would have to begin treading water. But even if they did, there was nowhere for them to swim to and they would quickly tire and slip below the icy water.

"Well, I think he can do it," Rose said, more loudly than she had intended. "Come on, Stefan. You've known him how long?"

"Seventeen years." The corporal acknowledged with a faint smile. "We met on our first day of school."

"Exactly, and how many time has he let you down since then?"

Stefan knew the point she was trying to make and nodded at her, grateful for the sudden surge of confidence.

"You're right, Rose." He said. "Peter's too stubborn, too damn determined to let any of this stop him. He's a tough sod, I'll give him that. I known shouldn't worry but…"

"He's your friend." The Doctor said. "You care about him, that's all."

Shivering as the churning water reached her stomach, Rose found herself laughing at a very sudden thought.

"He's kind of like you, Doctor." She teased. "Waits until that last possible minute and then races in and saves the day like it's nothing at all."

Though the Time Lord frowned at this, the analogy amused Stefan greatly.

"Careful Rose, that's a dangerous comparison." He chuckled. "Don't let Peter hear you say that."

"Oi!" The Doctor whined. "I'm not that bad!"

But he was glad to see that the corporal was in a slightly brighter mood. Despite their desperate situation, he had stopped counting now. Not that it even mattered any more as Peter would either be back or he wouldn't be. Even Jane let out a faint, wheezing giggle.

The infectious laugher lingered even as Peter burst through the surface.


	21. Chapter 20

The stalactites and stalagmites had cost Peter precious time.

Packed in much more densely than he'd first realised, the unusual rock formations were full of deceiving gaps that could have entrapped him many times had he attempted to push through them.

Getting stuck down here would be a death sentence.

So Peter had forced himself to stop and think about the route he was taking, changing his mind on more than one occasion as swum along the length of the tunnel.

But lingering was just as dangerous. His lungs were already screaming for air and he did not know how much longer he could refuse them. As the cave went on and on, he didn't feel as though he was making any progress at all.

What about the others? How much time did they have before they too would down? Could any of them hold their breaths long enough even if they came down here?

No! Don't think about that now. One problem at a time Argent! Push and kick. Push and kick! Keep swimming and find a way out for them and yourself. The sunlight was coming from somewhere, it had to lead to…

Air. Cold, clean and crisp air!

Peter had failed to realise that the cave had been leading him up instead of across like he'd imagined it had been doing. He hadn't even felt his shoulders break through the surface. One moment he was underwater and the next he was not.

Sunlight had never felt so warm and bright. After so many hours trapped underground, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world to be able to bask in its golden embrace. Peter couldn't even see where he had emerged. The water was also in his ears and nose, so any sounds and smells were unavailable to him as well.

But it didn't matter. He was outside of the cave and there was oxygen.

Spending just a few precious seconds treading water as he refilled his lungs, he dove back down. The route now memorised, he did not stop once on his way back. It was only as he reached the jagged tunnel again did thoughts return to the others and what their situation might be. The water level might have risen too high, or maybe the remains of the roof had decided to cave in on them. Peter looked up and saw the surface where he needed to be. With a final few strokes and wild kicks, he torpedoed towards it, not knowing what he would find on the other side….

Laughter. He could hear laughter.

"What the...?" He gasped. "Have you all gone mad!?"

The laughing died away immediately, but they were all no less happy to see that he had returned unharmed.

"Maybe we have!" Stefan exasperated. "Fifteen and a half minutes, Peter! A snail would have been quicker."

Almost sixteen minutes, had he been down there that long?

"Oh I'm sorry, was I suppose to be counting!?" He countered. "I didn't realise that we were on a clock?"

Swimming over and pulling himself up out of the deeper water, Peter knew it was all in good humour. What wasn't funny, however, was that fact that he could only just stand back up give the water was almost up to his stomach. Rose and Jane were the smallest of them all and it had reached their chests.

"Alright, maybe we should take this outside?" The Doctor suggested. "Quite literally, of course."

"Glad to show you the way." Peter agreed. "But we should go in pairs, it's a bit tricky."

"There's five of us." Rose pointed out. "Who's going to swim alone?"

"I will." The Doctor immediately volunteered. "Rose, you go with Peter. Stefan can take Jane and I'll follow along."

"Doctor, I've just swum it alone," Peter said. "You can wait here and I'll come back or follow after me. I can do it again."

"No, there isn't time for that, and I want you to take her. She'll be safe with you."

Peter hesitated but then nodded.

"Fine, but swim exactly where I swim." He told him. "It's very easy to get lost or even stuck down there."

"Sir, yes sir." The Time Lord replied with a grin. "Rose, it'll be fine. I'm right behind you."

Her deep brown eyes were pleading with him, even as Peter took hold of her arm and led her over to the edge of the pool. She could barely stand up anymore and hadn't realised until now how very cold the water was.

She jumped when Peter suddenly snapped his fingers in front of her face to get her attention.

"Rose, listen to me." He told her. "This is important. Before we go under I want you to take in a few really deep and big breaths for me, okay?"

"O-okay." She replied, her teeth chattering. "But w-why?"

"It'll oxygenate your lungs, expand them so you can hold in more air." He explained. "But as we swim, don't hold in your breath. Try to hum as you go along."

It was one of the most common reasons for diving accidents. If any of them held their breath as they rose through the different pressure levels, they would end up puncturing their lungs.

"What do you want me to hum, Peter? Auld Lang Syne?"

Peter almost smiled.

It took a lot for someone to make a joke at a time like this, and he was beginning to realise how much he had underestimated Rose Tyler. Well, maybe he'd tell her as much if they survived this.

"Hum anything, Rose." He said. "As long as you're humming, your lungs will be open."

They were all treading water now, unable to stand on the ground without dipping below the surface. Rose could see Stefan and Jane floating just a few feet away, the corporal giving the terrified woman a similar explanation of the almost impossible feat they were about to attempt.

Would she make it, would any of them? Peter had only just done it, and that could have only been because he wasn't even human.

"Come on now, Rose." He urged her. "Deep breaths. Six of them."

Worrying was not going to get any of them out of the cave. They just had to go for it and hope for the best. Breathing in as deeply as she could, Rose forced herself to exhale slowly and repeated the action calmly as she could over and over again.

"I feel dizzy." She gasped after her last breath. "I can't…"

"It's okay, that's normal," Peter assured her. "You've got too much oxygen in you right now, but you'll need it down there. Stefan, you all set?"

"We're good," Stefan replied. "On your count."

Lifting her arm out of the water, Peter clasped his hand tightly around Rose's. His warmth could be felt even above the icy cold river, and Rose knew she had to focus on that alone if she was to survive.

"Don't let go of my hand, okay?" He told her. "I'll get you through as quickly as I can. Just kick, and remember to hum."

"Okay…" She whispered. "L-let's do it."

Peter smiled at her, a wide and genuine smile that was not marred in any way with sarcasm nor any hostility. They were in this together, either they would live or die. It was that simple.

"Stefan, on my count," Peter told his friend. "Use the torch and follow me. Doctor, don't get lost."

This was it. They were going.

Stefan took hold of Jane with one arm and held the torch with the other. Peter could see in the dark unaided, but the corporal was going to need to extra light to navigate the depths below.

Peter's eyes met the Doctor's as he began to countdown from three.

"I'm right behind you." The Time Lord said. "Lead the way."

"Two," Peter called out, nodding as he drew in his last deep breath. "One!"

The last thing Rose saw before she was yanked down under the water was Peter's moonlit grey eyes that, now that she properly thought about it, were far too bright to belong to a human.

The darkness came so suddenly that she wondered if she'd been knocked out somehow.

But no, she was still conscious. Still trapped in this nightmare of cold water and the looming presence of death. Rose could feel it gripping her chest like a pair of iron bands. Something was pulling her, dragging her down further into the freezing depths. She tried to free herself, pushing and kicking up towards the surface...

Peter. Of course! The pulling sensation she could feel around her arm was Peter guiding her to safety.

How had he done this alone?

Everything was black, she was already straining for air and didn't know how long she could last. The pressure on her lungs was building. It was actually painful and Rose could imagine them ballooning up and up as they pleaded and begged for relief and air. Peter had told her to hum, but what good would that do?

It wasn't exactly a tune but it was repetitive and gave her something to focus on as she was dragged through the darkness.

Though it didn't give her the air she so desperately needed, Rose had to admit she no longer felt as though her lungs were about to burst right at this moment. Her hand scratched across something very large and sharp, a rock of some kind. But it didn't matter, she couldn't feel anything. Her whole body had numbed in the intense cold.

How long had she been underwater now?

Time was irrelative down here. It could have been only a minute or two, but Rose could imagine never seeing the light of day again. This tunnel was simply endless, ongoing and forever with no way out. Nobody would ever find them. It would simply seem that they had vanished into thin air.

Air. Rose needed air. Now!

No amount of humming was going to save her this time. She needed to breathe right this second and she knew there wasn't going to be any there to greet her. She would drown! With a sob of pure despair, Rose opened her mouth...

She breathed in air!

As her vision cleared, she saw trees and the blurry, shimmering outline of the sun from behind a gloomy overcast sky.

But it didn't matter what the weather was like. Rose didn't care as long as she was free of that cave and able to breathe again. She wanted to cry out with joy, but she was too frozen to manage much more than a squeak.

"Ahh..."

"Come on, swim. Swim, Rose."

Peter was floating beside her, still holding onto her hand as he guided her to the edge of the small pond they were in the middle of.

Rose could not move and felt like a dead log as she allowed herself to be dragged through the water and hauled up and onto the muddy ground. Every breath was an ordeal. It was like being stabbed over and over again with dozens of jagged knives.

"W-w-" She tried to say. "H-h-h-"

She was so cold that the words came out as no more than single letters. Her whole body was out of control. Her teeth were chattering violently and her neck and shoulders seemed to be locked ridged. Like a puppet, she allowed Peter to move her as his face swam into view. He was hovering over her, pulling her up into a sitting position and leaning her against his chest. His strong arms wrapped themselves protectively around her.

"It's okay, Rose. You're going to be okay."

Rose melted into his embrace. It was like hugging a hot water bottle. How could he be so warm right now? Forget the transformation into a gigantic wolf. At that moment, it was the most alien thing anyone could have ever been able to do.

"H-how…?"

"Being me has its advantages." He chuckled. "I wouldn't complain about it right now."

Keeping his body pressed up against Rose's as he tried to keep her as warm as possible, Peter's attention shifted back to the pond they'd emerged from. Stefan, Jane and the Doctor had to break through the surface any moment now...

Yes, there were Stefan and Jane.

"B-bloody hell!" Stefan exclaimed. "T-t... Oh!"

He was filthy, bloodied and bruised and barely looked human. Water was still streaming down his face as he pulled Jane along with him. The poor woman was as white as a sheet. Her long red hair had darkened in the water and trailed behind her as she moved across the pond.

She didn't even have the strength to shiver.

Stefan too was suffering and could barely keep them both afloat as they reached the edge of the pond. Struggling to get himself out, let along Jane as well, he waited until Peter had left Rose and came running over to help before he made any attempt to do anything else.

"Stefan, push her up," Peter told him. "That's it."

As the corporal pushed from below, Peter was able to haul Jane out by the collar of her jacket. Half carrying her as she stumbled forward, he left her beside Rose before he turned back and helped his friend clamber out.

"T-thanks." Stefan stuttered. "B-bit cold."

"Is it? I wouldn't know."

Stefan managed to bark out a single wheezing laugh as he shot Peter a look that told the lieutenant the joke was ill-timed.

Despite the good humour, both soldiers knew that all but Peter were now in danger of becoming hypothermic. They hadn't drowned, but they could all still die of exposure. It was February, their clothes were wet and they had nothing dry to change into or any form of shelter. Their body temperatures were already dangerously low, and it would not be long before their internal systems would start to shut down.

Jane looked to be in the worst state.

She wasn't shivering, and that was the first warning sign. Her body simply didn't have the energy to try and generate warmth on its own anymore.

"She's s-still... g-good," Stefan said as Peter went over to check on her. "B-but..."

"Okay, I'll keep her warm." He replied, wrapping her arms around her. "I can alternate between her and Rose every few minutes. But we're going to need something more effective."

"I could s-start a f-fire," Stefan suggested. "Over t-there?"

The tree line was only a few meters away, it's dense woodland floor covered in branches. He would need to find a flintstone, but they had both been on survival exercises in the Brecon Beacons and Peter knew that Stefan would find one and have a roaring fire going in under a minute.

"Good, let's move them into the woods. Get them out of the wind."

"D-doctor," Rose mumbled. "W-hat about t-t-t-"

She didn't have to finish her sentence, even if she was able to. Peter knew what she was trying to say. The last few minutes had been chaotic at best, but it had still managed to feel a little bit too quiet.

The Doctor was nowhere to be seen.


	22. Chapter 21

He hadn't made it. Or had he?

Sat on the ground, holding onto Jane as he kept her warm, Peter hesitated to act. He knew that if he jumped in after the Doctor just as the Time Lord surfaced they could end up crashing headlong into one another. Worst still, he could swim right past him and not know it, drowning as he searched for him in the murky depths.

He allowed another ten seconds to pass. Twenty. Thirty seconds.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Where the hell is he?"

No one could answer him. The cold and sheer exhaustion had sapped everything from them. Mentally they knew what needed to be done, but none of them was in any kind of state to translate such thoughts into actual actions.

"Peter," Stefan whispered. "Y-you..."

He didn't need to say it. The look in his eyes was enough for Peter.

"I know." He said, nodding. "I'm going."

He was the only one physically able to mount a rescue. The Doctor might already be dead. He might not find him. But, quite frankly, Peter had already had enough about what might be for one day. Leaving Jane, he jumped up and ran over to the pond. Diving headfirst into the water, he kicked out furiously as he swam back down towards the tunnel.

The water might not have been cold to him, but Peter realised in a matter of seconds that he was going to struggle this time. This was his fourth dive and he hadn't thought to prepare his lungs. Worst still, fatigue was really starting to set in now. He'd been awake for almost twenty-four hours, over nine of which having been spent almost being killed half a dozen different ways. He'd been knocked out, strangled, beaten, sliced open and now was once again at the risk of drowning.

Trust the Doctor to be the reason why he'd finally be finished off.

Already, he was back at the tunnel and began to look for any signs of the Doctor. There were very few places he could have gone, but there was always the chance that the Time Lord had become disorientated and had ended up swimming in the wrong direction back towards the cave.

Drifting through the water, Peter was acutely aware of how long it was taking him and how much oxygen he was using up. But as he swam past the first few stalagmites and stalactites, he could see that he did not have much further to go.

Incredibly, after all this time, the Doctor was still alive.

Judging by the number of bubbles escaping his lips, however, it would not be long before whatever reserves of air he had left ran out. The sheer unbridled panic on his face was clear to see as Peter swam over to him, as was the reason why he had not made it through and up to the surface.

His foot had become stuck between two of the rocks and it was refusing to budge regardless of how hard or frantically he pulled and yanked it.

The Doctor stopped struggling the moment he spotted Peter and watched, almost with curiosity, as the soldier swam down towards his trapped leg.

Peter's natural buoyancy was trying to pull him up, forcing him to keep kicking out to stay in place. But now that he was next to the limb, he could see that is was completely wedged in. Short of breaking the bone, and even then it might not be enough, Peter did not see any other way of getting it out.

He started looking around desperately for a loose rock, a stone, anything he might be able to use as a pivot to wriggle the leg free.

Nothing. There was nothing.

He knew his own air was running out, and the surface was at least two minutes away. But to leave the Doctor now would be as good as condemning him to death. It was like some devil voice whispering in his ear. Leave him. Look after yourself. If you stay down here any longer, both of you will die.

No!

The lefthand rock was the problem, Peter could see that. The way the Doctor's foot was pinned and twisted to the right meant that if he could just break the opposite rock then he could free him. But he had nothing to break it with!

Pure frustration boiled through Peter as he grabbed hold of the rock and began to pull back on it. Seconds passed that might as well have been a lifetime. He lost more oxygen as a result and had nothing else to show for his efforts. The rock was not going to break and it had to if the Doctor was going to live.

He felt the Doctor tap him on the shoulder.

Looking up, Peter saw him point his way and then jab his finger in the direction of the tunnel. The meaning was clear even if the Time Lord couldn't speak. He wanted Peter to leave him behind and save himself.

Peter frowned and shook his head.

He wasn't going to let anyone else die today, let alone the Doctor. After all, they had been through, all of the dangers they had faced… This simply wasn't the way the mission was going to end. He wasn't going to be the one to report that UNIT's chief scientific adviser had been left to die on his own all because of some stupid…

He suddenly couldn't stand to see the rock there anymore. Peter had never hated something so much in his life.

The Doctor's lips dared to twitch into a smile as the Nimarian's golden eyes shone like a pair of headlights. He watched as the younger man planted his feet firmly on the ground and grabbed hold of the rock with both hands. Then he began to pull on it again, bubbles bursting from his mouth with the effort.

But he did not stop.

Spurred on as he felt the rock beginning to crack under the pressure of his newfound strength, Peter did not relent and continued to pull and pull against it with an unrelenting determination that he was going to do it.

One of them was going to break first and it was not going to be him!

The Doctor knew that they had reached the point of no return. Too many bubbles were escaping from Peter's mouth and there wasn't going to be enough to get him back to the surface unless he left right now. Suddenly, the lieutenant stopped pulling and looked for a moment as though he was choking as the water invaded his lungs.

He managed to recover himself and carried on pulling. He was committed to saving the Doctor, even if it killed him.

Both of the Time Lord's hearts were beating furiously with the desire to help Peter. He was consciously choosing to drown so that he might succeed in freeing him. But what could the Doctor do whilst his leg was still trapped? Nothing. There was absolutely nothing he could do until he was free. If he got free that was...

The water around them suddenly turned darker. Swirling clouds of red were coming from Peter's hands as he continued to pull against the sharp rock. He'd sliced them open, not able to feel the pain whilst down here as more and more bubbles of oxygen trickled out of him.

The yellow light in Peter's eyes was fading. He was seconds away from blacking out as his bloodied hands slipped and lost their grip on the rock…

It must have been done on pure instinct because Peter was already drifting into unconsciousness the moment it was done. Bouncing up and lashing out with both feet, he struck the rock hard with both his boots. Even underwater, the sound of the rock breaking clean in two boomed as the top of it snapped away and sunk to the floor.

The Doctor was free and could move again!

Buoyancy was already pulling him upward towards the roof, but he didn't care. Peter was in front of him, his limp and motionless body hovering like a watery ghost. His head was lolling onto his shoulder as the last few fine streams of bubbles escaped from his mouth.

Grabbing the soldier by the arm, the Doctor dragged him along as he powered through the tunnel and up towards the surface. He could only hope that it wasn't already too late.

Stefan had begun to pace again.

Rose watched him from beside the small fire he had built out of nothing but a pile of twigs, moss and leaves. Using a couple of flint stones he had found almost instantly to light it, Stefan had not even bothered to get himself warmed up and didn't seem to realise that he was trembling head to foot. He was too busy standing guard over the pond, watching and waiting for Peter to return with the Doctor.

She wanted to join him. She wanted to reassure him, and herself as well, that they would be back any second and that they would both be okay.

But how could Rose do that when she didn't quite believe it herself? She couldn't even feel her legs and didn't know how any of them were still alive. They were in the middle of nowhere with nothing but trees surrounding them. No one knew they were here, and she knew it wasn't going to be as simple as making a phone call and wait around for a lift back to the base.

"Stefan!" The Doctor's voice cried out. "Here, quickly!"

Rose hadn't even heard any splashes coming from the pond and had thought at first that she had imagined hearing the Time Lord break the silence of the crisp morning air.

Falling over in her hurry to get up, she quickly regained her feet and ran the short distance to the pond. She could see the Doctor, alive and swimming to the shore with Peter just behind him and any doubts she might have just had vanished at once.

Then her heart sank as they came back tenfold.

"Oh my god!" Stefan gasped. "Peter. No..."

Peter wasn't swimming, he was being dragged through the water by the Doctor. Unresponsive and looking horribly like a corpse, it was clear that he wasn't breathing. With Stefan hauling him out from above as the Doctor pushed from below, they got him out of the pond quickly and dragged him away from the edge.

Rolling him onto his back, Stefan didn't waste a moment as he began to perform CPR.

Locking his hands together, he pressed down on Peter's chest over and over again, rhythmically pumping his friend's heart to try and get it going again. All too quickly, Stefan reached ten compressions without there looking to be any signs of life coming from the lieutenant.

"Please…" Rose whispered under her breath. "Please don't be…"

Stefan had begun shouting between his efforts.

"Come on, Peter! Fourteen... Fifteen... Sixteen..."

On and on he counted through the teens and into the twenties, all the way up to thirty. Tilting Peter's head back, he pinched his nose and delivered two long, deep breaths into his mouth. The corporal then continued to pound down into his chest again.

Still nothing.

Despite his determination to carry on Stefan was exhausted and must have running purely on adrenaline. Tears had begun to form in his eyes as his breath became ragged and drawn out, announcing to them all that he could not keep it up for much longer.

The Doctor knew what had to be done.

"Stefan, let me take over." He said. "Move out of the way."

"No, he's going to wake up any second." The corporal insisted. "Peter, you're not going out like this! Not after everything…"

A sudden fit of coughing broke Stefan's rhythm. He was barely able to draw breath himself, let alone revive Peter's body and force it into doing the same. Barely a moment passed, however, between him stopping and the Doctor taking over. He pushed the corporal aside before the soldier had a chance to argue. It didn't take much of an effort to move him given his current state. Stefan collapsed to the ground, wheezing and gasping for air as he clutched his side and watched as the Time Lord continue to fight for Peter's life.

"He can't…" He begged. "Please…."

His desperation spurred the Doctor on.

"You hear that, Peter?" He said loudly. "We're not going to let this happen. You are not going to die today. Wake up!"

Then, quite suddenly, Peter did.

Water spewed out of his mouth and he violently began to choke as he drew in his first breath in over five minutes. Peter's eyes flashed yellow as they flickered open, a tiny indistinguishable change hidden in the bright morning light.

As the soldier instinctively tried to sit up, the effort bringing on another bout of rattling coughs, the Doctor carefully rolled him over onto his side.

"Okay, there we go." He encouraged. "Deep breaths, that's it. In and out, nice and slowly."

Drawing out long, laboured breaths, Peter was drained of every ounce of strength. Teeth chattering from shock rather than the cold, he was slowly but surely coming back around. Still clutching his side, Stefan shuffled over to his side and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be alright, mate." He told him. "But talk about close calls. What the hell happened down there?"

"I got stuck." The Time Lord admitted. "Peter got me out."

Peter grunted in agreement and slowly managed to roll himself onto his back again.

"M-more of a…. joint effort." He wheezed. "Oh, I… need a desk job."

"You wouldn't last a week," Stefan remarked, beaming down at him. "The paperwork would kill you."

Peter laughed at this, though it quickly turned into more coughing. But there was a lot more colour in his face now and his breathing returned to a more relaxed rate. With the sound of his heartbeat pulsating through his ears beginning to quieten down, he tried to sit himself up once more.

"Easy, take it slowly." The Doctor said. "Let me help."

Allowing Peter to do most of the work on his own, the Doctor propped up his back as the soldier's arms shook from the effort.

"I'm fine, thanks" He breathed. "Ah, I feel like I've been hit by a train."

"Or punched in the chest, repeatedly I might add," Stefan told him. "Not just be me either."

Peter followed his gaze and turned around to face the Doctor. He wasn't surprised in the least that Stefan had attempted to resuscitate him, but he wouldn't have put a bet on the Time Lord doing the same thing. Despite his name, his track record had always given Peter the impression of a thinker rather than a doer.

"You never fail to disappoint, Doctor." He told him. "Thank you."

"Just returning the favour, lieutenant. Now, if you're good to go, we better figure out where it is we are."

For the first time, Peter looked properly around at his surroundings. Blinking in the glare of the winter sunlight, he could see that they were in the middle of a large opening in the forest, surrounded by the dense woodland. They had walked miles whilst down in the cave and now could be anywhere.

As instructed, Stefan had built a small fire just on the edge of the forest. Jane was still sat beside it, huddled so close to the warm flames that so risked catching alight if she leaned in any further. She wasn't the only one suffering from the cold. All of them were soaked to the bone and any layers they had between them were not going to do much good until they dried off. In such weather, Peter knew he had to get them all warm and sheltered as soon as possible.

Searching through the hundreds of trees, he could see only one very small opening that looked like it led somewhere. Perhaps it was a hiking trail, but it seemed to be their most logical option if they were going to go to try and find help.

"That has to lead somewhere." He pointed out. "A farmhouse, maybe? We could scout ahead… Wait, Doctor. I gave you my radio!"

Both he and Stefan had been equipped with radios that would link them directly back to his team at base. The corporal's had broken during their fall, but Peter had given his to the Doctor moments before they had all escaped the cave. Digging into his coat pocket, the Doctor quickly found the device and pulled it out.

The water could be heard sloshing around inside it even before anyone dared to ask if it was still working.

"Damn it!" Stefan groaned. "I thought they were waterproof!"

"Clearly not at the depths we went down to." The Doctor said, pocketing it again. "Oh well. I guess we're under our own steam from here then."

Rose instantly looked over at Jane. Her pale, trembling figure was a stark reminder of how awful and exhausted she was herself. Despite her jacket and the UNIT coat she'd manage to hang onto, Rose didn't know if she could manage to go anywhere further than the fire just a few meters away from her.

Peter caught her eye and seemed to sense what she was thinking.

"We can't make that. Not like this." He said, shaking his head again. "We don't even know which direction to go in. No, we stay by the fire and warm up first."

"The team will be searching for us." Stefan reasoned. "If an entire river had drained then -"

SNAP!

The sound of a branch breaking underfoot cracked through the crisp air like a gunshot. The two soldiers were already on their feet, ready to face whatever had just dared to try and sneak up on them as Stefan drew out his gun.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Peter ordered loudly. "Now!"

"Wait, don't shoot!" The Doctor intervened, smiling as he spotted what was moving towards them. "Hello there. Where did you come from?"

It was a dog.

The black and white border collie had a droopy ear and a wagging tail. Its bright pink tongue was hung lazily out of the side of its mouth as it eagerly bounded through the long grass and ran straight over to the Doctor.

"He's got a collar." Rose noticed. "Must belong to someone."

The Time Lord was knelt beside it, cooing and fussing over the animal as though it were a long lost friend. The dog in return was enthusiastically sniffing him and licking his hands as he stroked it.

"She is called Molly." He told her. "But, yes her owner is just on the other side of those trees. They've been camping."

"How can you possibly…" Peter began, shaking his head in disbelief. "You didn't even look at the tag."

"I speak dog."

"That's not possible," Stefan argued. "You can't -"

"Stefan, you're best friend is a Nimarian wolf. We've all just spent the night fighting giant bats from outer space." The Doctor interrupted. "So let's not get bogged down with what's possible, shall we?"

The corporal couldn't argue against his logic.

"Okay then, let's go." He said. "Tell Molly to lead the way."


	23. Chapter 22

Rodger Harper had woken up to the most spectacular of sunrises.

Perhaps it was his reward for trying to sleep through what had been quite a terrible night. Full of downpours and even a lightning storm, there had been no rest as it battered against nylon fabric of his tent until the early hours. But it was worth it as he enjoyed the blissful morning which had greeted him.

But as any Englishman knew, the rain was never too far away.

As he poured the contents of a can of dog food into the plastic bowl, Rodger looked up at the distant grey clouds that were threatening to interrupt his trip once again. Still, there was little he could do but enjoy the sun whilst it lasted. Discarding the empty tin into a bag he'd left open on his foldable table, he put the bowl on down onto the grass and looked up as he let out a loud whistle.

"Molly!" He called. "Here girl, food!"

Calling out again when she failed to appear, Rodger frowned when he did not see a streak of black and white come charging out of the woods to greet him.

Molly would never stray too far away from him and she had been coming to these woods since she was a puppy. She also knew to come back whenever he called her. Although, if she had found a puddle or small pond to splash around in then it was a matter of waiting until she came back, no doubt in need of a good hose down and towel dry.

Settling down into his chair, a mug of hot tea in his hand, Rodger contented himself with enjoying what looked to be the last of good weather before he'd be forced to retreat into his tent again.

A loud series of yapping barks announced the arrived of his pet.

Smiling as he stood back up, Rodger knew she must have smelt her breakfast and come running back from whatever adventure had distracted her. Sure enough, there she was. Molly came racing out of the woods just beyond his parked Volvo and made straight for her bowl.

But she wasn't alone.

Rodger's smile vanished as his mouth fell open. Five people had followed Molly out of the trees and were walking towards him. There were three men and two women and they were all in an awful bedraggled state, looking as though they had spent the night in the woods without anything to shelter them from the wild weather.

They didn't look like fellow campers.

One man looked though he'd been in a fight. His face was all swollen and bruised and he was walking with one hand pressed against his ribs as though they were hurting him. Dressed in black military clothing, identical to one of the other two men, neither of them had a coat on to protect them from the cold. The other's shirt and trousers were torn in several places and he was half carrying a redheaded woman who seemed to be one shade of white up from being dead.

The blonde woman was holding the hand of the third man, and he was the most peculiar of the lot. Dressed in a sopping wet pinstriped suit and long tan overcoat, he was the only one who smiled at Rodger as they approached him.

"Hello!" The Doctor called out, waving cheerfully. "You must be Molly's owner?"

The man in front of him was around forty, but he looked older because of his grey hair and stubbled beard. Wrapped up in at least three thick layers and a waterproof coat, he had come well prepared for the unpredictable, drizzly weather.

Given the look of complete surprise and bewilderment on his face, it took a while for him to respond.

"Erm... Yes. I'm Rodger… Rodger Harper." Rodger introduced, frowning. "Sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh yes, of course, how rude of me. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose and that's Jane. These two fine men are -"

"We can skip the intros, Doctor." Peter interrupted. "Sir, I'm going to need your phone and any spare clothing or blankets you have. These people have the onsets of hypothermia and need to get warm and dry until I can get medical help here."

He had said all of this very quickly in a clinically serious tone. Whilst he had been talking, Peter plonked Jane down onto the vacant camping chair before turning back around to face the man and frowned at him when he failed to respond.

"Oh..." Rodger mumbled. "You need..."

"Now, please!" Peter barked at him. "Quick as you like."

Rodger jumped and fumbled slightly as he peeled off his coat and handed it over to him.

"Right, of course. Sorry." He apologised. "Mobile is in there. My rucksack is in the tent, I'll show you."

"Stefan, go with him and grab what we need," Peter instructed as he found the phone. "Get the others and yourself wrapped up whilst I call it in. You doing okay, how is it?"

He nodded down at his friend's side.

The corporal had been struck by Karina's powerful arm down in the cave and this topped with their underwater escape and giving Peter CPR had left him with a pain that was refusing to go away. No doubt he had bruised something, maybe even fractured a rib or two.

"Hanging in there." He muttered, managing to smile. "At least the cold is numbing it."

"Yeah, you'll be feeling it tomorrow for sure," Peter told him. "Go on, rest up."

Slightly relieved to be able to, Stefan followed after Rodger over to the tent, taking Rose and Jane with him. Except for Molly, who was greedily chomping down her food, this left the Doctor and Peter on their own.

"You could have been a bit nicer to him." The Doctor suggested. "There wasn't any need to shout at poor Rodger."

Peter's brow creased irritably as he dialled a number from memory into the phone. Putting the mobile up against his ear, he glared at the Time Lord.

"I'm not here to make friends, Doctor." He countered. "Getting you lot back in one piece and contacting UNIT are my only two priorities right now."

"Yes, I suppose. We are a bit late checking in, aren't we?"

Peter didn't look as though he wanted to be reminded of this. They had arranged to be back with his team at dawn, the rendezvous being the cave where they had originally entered from. Now, miles away and over two hours late, there was little to doubt that his men had already called in for back up.

At least the phone was ringing and there was a signal here. The call was answered quickly.

"This is Lieutenant Peter Argent. Immediate extraction required from the triangulated location of this phone." He relayed to the operator. "Code Nine is secure with two civilians and Corporal Amell in need of cat D relief."

The Doctor knew whoever it was Peter was speaking with would be sat in a secretive control room somewhere at a computer, no doubt with access to all kinds of resources and information that could be put through to their field personal with just a few clicks of the mouse.

"All systems go, is it?" He asked. "Tell them not to scratch the TARDIS if they bring it over."

Peter ignored him as he listed carefully to what he was being told.

"Yes, I'll hold for him." He said, pausing for a moment. "Major Harrison, sir… Yes, sir. We're back…."

Rose felt as though she had sunk into a hot bubble bath, one that she never wanted to get out of for as long as she lived. Wrapped up in a large tartan picnic blanket, she was now wearing one of Rodger's spare jackets. The man had unpacked everything he had with him and had kindly told them to take whatever they wanted.

Between herself and Stefan, they had helped Jane as she rather unsteadily clambered into the tent. She was falling asleep even as she crawled inside, her body finally giving up after enduring so much. Even so, Stefan had shaken her awake and insisted that she put on a dry jumper before allowing her to lie down on top of the unfurled sleeping bag. Draping another jacket on top of her, the soldier was shaking so much that his teeth were chattering as he helped Rose wrap up too.

"Here, put this on." She told him, finding another fleece. "You're freezing."

"T-thanks." He replied, pulling it on with some difficultly. "Damn, I think I have broken something. No, it's fine. They'll patch me up when backup comes, Peter's calling them now."

"Yeah, it's finally over." Rose realised. "What happens now, Stefan? When UNIT get here… What about Jane?"

Stefan looked down at the sleeping woman with some pity.

"Nothing is going to bring her boyfriend back." He admitted. "She won't understand why he was killed and we'll have to make her keep what she saw secret. But she can go home and live her life, and that is job done as far as we're concerned. We stopped those things from hurting anyone else."

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Right, I'm going to see what's going on. Wait here, get some sleep if you can. I might be able to find some tea or food."

Wincing as he got back up, the soldier smiled at Rose reassuringly as he left the tent. Listening as the sound of his boots squelching in the mud gradually faded away, Rose knew that she should get some sleep. Her head was pounding and she had never been so tired in all of her life. But sitting here, in this tent, just reminded her of being back in that cave again.

Suddenly feeling trapped, she scrambled to her feet and stepped outside.

It had started to rain again. Pulling the blanket over her head like a hood, Rose quickly spotted Peter stood a good distance away, pacing up and down as he spoke to someone on Rodger's phone. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she could tell from his serious expression that it was a very important conversation and that he was doing more listening than talking.

The Doctor and Stefan were talking stood with the Rodger.

Molly the border collie was sat at her owner's feet, looking up at all three of them as she eagerly wagged her tail in the clear hope of getting some attention. Spotting Rose as she walked over to them, the Doctor smiled brightly and waved at her.

"Rose, there you are." He said. "You've said hello to Rodger, haven't you?"

"Yes, hi." She greeting, feeling slightly awkward. "Thanks for the blankets and everything."

"It's no trouble," Rodger replied with an unsure smile. "Just can't think what you were doing out here with nothing but the clothes on your back? You all look as though you've been for a midnight swim."

"Something like that." The Doctor laughed. "But that was only the end of it."

Rodger frowned curiously and was just about to respond when Stefan spoke up quickly.

"I was wondering, Rodger. Do you have any maps of where we are?" He asked. "In your car, maybe?"

Perhaps sensing that he was being shooed away, Rodger nodded and pointed over to his Volvo as he turned towards it.

"Yes, in my glovebox." He said. "I'll get them for you. Come on, Molly."

The dog followed after him, and soon both pet and owner had climbed into the vehicle and were out of earshot of a conversation that neither of them might have thought possible, even if the Doctor had translated it for human and canine ears alike.

"Nice diversion." The Time Lord told Stefan. "Then again, you are quite the expert on covering things up."

None of them looked Peter's way. They didn't need to, even when they knew the conversation they were about to have.

"I'm not going to apologise for protecting my friend." The soldier replied. "It's not safe for him to just tell anyone what he is."

"It must be hard for him though, pretending all the time?" Rose ventured. "People must've noticed things over the years."

"Yes, but the Doctor is right. We've gotten good at coming up with explanations. Even UNIT can be fooled by a swapped blood sample and a few adjusted field reports."

"With you providing the sample and backup testimonies, I presume?" The Doctor questioned. "Still, it's perfectly understandable. As long as he's on Earth it's the safest option for him."

Stefan frowned at this. He hadn't wanted the topic of his friend's home planet to be discussed, and he stopped the Doctor from trying to persuade Peter into travelling to it. But he had only acted upon the lieutenant's initial rejection of the idea, and everything said afterwards had only been to protect him from being unnecessarily hurt.

"Doctor, you are not going to get him into the TARDIS by force." He said. "Peter is so stubborn and he'll only dig his heels in deeper. He might shoot you this time."

"Yes but -"

"But nothing, Doctor." Stefan cut in, holding up his hand. "Look, I don't know what's on Valerus. But he doesn't know that world, he's never thought about it or even mentioned the idea of it. Until today it's not even been possible for him to go there."

"Well, now he can." The Time Lord urged. "In fact, he should. I think that he should go to Valerus."

Stefan viewed this with some suspicion.

"You seem to be on a personal mission here, Doctor?" He questioned. "Why? I get it that you're curious about how he got here, but what's in it for you?"

The Doctor hesitated and chose not to answer him.

"Look, I know it's all a bit messy, and he's scared." He said instead. "But there's no getting away from the fact that Peter is a wolf without a pack. It's hard to explain but… Being on his own in terms of his kind isn't going to be good for him in the long run."

He didn't mean Peter was without friends or family, of course. No, there were people, Stefan included, who were as good as kin to him. But the Time Lord knew enough about wolves to know that any connection with humans would never run as deep as to those of his own species.

"You don't think I don't know that," Stefan told him. "Doctor, ever since I found out what he was I knew there would always be a difference between us. I knew there was something even before I saw him turn that first time. Peter isn't human and whenever he is reminded of that, it hurts him. All I can do… All any of us can do is to be there to support him."

The Time Lord regarded the younger man with a large smile.

"You are brilliant, Stefan. You are." He said. "Peter's lucky to have you."

"Yet I won't ever be able to understand him on a certain level. That's what you're saying, isn't it?" The corporal admitted. "Just as you and Rose won't be able to either."

"No, and I think he needs to at least go and take a look." The Doctor continued. "So help me persuade him, Stefan. We can give him the choice he needs to make before he decides what he wants."

Scoffing at the Time Lord's persistence, Stefan shook his head at the idea.

"No, Doctor. You'll have to do that on your own." He said. "But one word of advice, if you're so bent upon the idea of taking him with you, why didn't you get to know him first?"

Rose had been listening in with fascination as the two men had debated and argued over Peter's future. Stefan's words confused her, however. Hadn't they just spend a whole night together in the most extraordinary of circumstances, certainly giving room to know anything about anyone. She and the Doctor had also learned the biggest secret Peter had to offer.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "How could we not know him after tonight?"

"You know what he is, Rose. You know him as a soldier, and you've seen some of his best and worst qualities." Stefan told her. "But you don't know a thing about him. I mean… He speaks four languages aside from English. Did you know that?"

Rose hadn't known that. But she understood Stefan's point.

"I get it." The Doctor acknowledged. "Stop focusing on what he is and look at who he is."

"Exactly, appeal to him as a person. Not as a fascination or puzzle you want to solve." Stefan told him. "Then, maybe… Just maybe, he'll go with you."

"You're okay with him going then?" Rose questioned. "You wouldn't be upset? What about his parents?"

Stefan shrugged and shook his head. He looked torn over the idea, but he also understood that the decision was out of his hands.

"It's like I said, Rose." He admitted. "I just want whatever is best for him."

"We won't let you down, corporal." The Doctor said confidently. "I can promise that -"

"Just don't hurt him." Stefan suddenly snapped. "Don't break his trust. You'll never get it back if you do, Doctor. Remember that."

That was it.

It was the end of the conversation and the last time the soldier was willing to discuss the subject with him. Stefan might not have been a Nimarian wolf, but his loyalty certainly matched for one and he had only given his blessing with the knowledge that it was to be Peter's own choice and that he didn't get upset in the process.

It was raining heavily now, and Rose was starting to regret leaving the tent as she pulled the blanket up around her a little more. Looking over at Peter, she saw him finish up his call. It was only as he turned around and begin to walk towards them did she remember how incredibly sharp his hearing was.

Had he just heard every word they had said? Had he listened in as they had quite openly and brazenly discussed him in such a personal manner?

"Stefan…" She began. "Did he just…?"

Stefan caught onto her panicked expression and smiled, shaking his head.

"He's as deaf as us in the rain." He whispered. "Running water is one thing his ears can't get around."

It must have been true because Peter didn't say anything when he reached them, nor did he show any signs of knowing what they had just talked about. Still only dressed in his ripped shirt and trousers, he seemed oblivious to the weather as he looked to Stefan.

"Major Harrison is on the way with his team." He said. "They'll take us back to camp and deal with everything from there. They're twenty minutes out."

"Okay, I guess we'll just sit tight," Stefan replied. "Until then we better get out of this rain."


	24. Chapter 23

With six people and one dog all trying to keep dry and avoid the endless downpour, there simply wasn't the room to accommodate everyone in Rodger's one-man tent.

Jane was in no condition to be moved and continued to sleep soundly within the confines of the snug nylon shelter. Feeling obliged to stay by her side, Rose had gladly accepted help from Stefan as they'd tucked her into the sleeping bag. Despite her ordeal, Jane was no worse off physically than being slightly dehydrated and in need of a good amount of rest somewhere warm and quiet.

Her state of mind, however, was something which remained undetermined for the moment.

"It could have ended so much worse, Rose."

Rose smiled at Stefan as he came back in through the opened flap of the tent. In his hand was a large silver flask that he must have acquired from Rodger. Unscrewing the cup that doubled as its lid, he poured out some hot tea and handed it over to her.

"I know." She said. "Thanks. I never thought I'd miss tea so much."

"My wife says nothing can't be cured by a good cuppa." Stefan agreed. "Still, I think I'd go for something stronger right now. Too bad Rodger hasn't got any of the good stuff."

"What must he be thinking? Did you tell him anything?"

The soldier laughed at the idea.

"Even if I did, I don't think he'd believe me." He remarked. "No, I just said we were on a training exercise and it went a bit wrong."

"He believed that?" Rose asked. "Just like that?"

"Generally people like to accept what they're told, yeah. Especially when the person telling them has a gun and are in the state we're in."

Rose peered out of the tent and could see Rodger sitting in his chair a short distance away. The rain had not lightened and he had consigned himself to sitting beneath a large umbrella with Molly tucked in just behind his feet.

The Doctor and Peter, however, were both conspicuously absent.

"Where are…"

Stefan nodded in the direction of Rodger's car.

"He didn't waste much time waiting around before he made his attempt." He said. "Luckily, Peter isn't armed right now."

"Aside from being able to turn into a gigantic wolf?" Rose countered. "Mind you, that's not enough to stop the Doctor."

"No, I suppose not. But good luck to him if he's going to try again. Peter is a stubborn git and I refuse to play the referee this time."

Joking aside, Rose knew that the likelihood of another argument breaking out between the two men was high. Perhaps the only salvation was that a whole platoon of soldiers was now on their way. UNIT's arrival couldn't come soon enough and, in her opinion at least, would be the only thing capable of maintaining the peace.

Sat slumped in the front passenger seat of Rodger's silver Volvo, Peter was barely paying attention to the country and lifestyle magazine he had found in the glovebox.

The rain was still hammering relentlessly against the roof and it was cascading down the windshield like a miniature waterfall, reducing the world outside to blurred shapes and colours. But for once such weather had come as a welcomed relief. The vehicle had become a bubble of peace and calm and Peter was grateful for the chance to escape from it all.

The mission, those monstrous creatures… Not to mention the Doctor and what he had told him.

More pressingly, however, Peter knew that his commanding officer would be here in less than five minutes. It had been impossible to judge Major Harrison's mood on the phone, but a combination of experience and gut instinct was telling him that he was in for a well-prepared dressing-down in response to straying so very far away from the established parameters of the mission.

UNIT was publicly a peacekeeping authority, and only those who worked within its ranks were allowed to know the true nature of their purpose. The Official Secrets Act was signed by everyone and no one was to do anything to bring unwanted attention to the organisation. Given that a whole river had come down upon them, Peter doubted that managed to do this in the way his employers had been expecting.

There was a dull clunk as the driver's door opened up.

"Are they here? Best prep yourself for a massive bollo…"

Looking up from his magazine, Peter was both surprised and irritated to see that it was the Doctor.

He had been expecting Stefan and didn't want to be bothered by anyone else right now. Glaring as the Time Lord climbed into the car and sat down next to him, Peter quickly returned his attention as best he could to the magazine in his hands.

Shutting the door behind him, The Doctor proceeded to shake his hands of the excess water and shivered as he got use to the relative warmth of the car.

"It's coming down now." He remarked. "Like cats and dogs! Brr… it's cold."

"If you say so," Peter muttered. "What do you want, Doctor?"

Though his eyes didn't leave the page he was pretending to read, he could sense the feigned look of innocent surprise on The Doctor's face.

"Me? Oh, nothing… Well, I just thought I might check-up and see…"

He stopped as Peter looked up at him.

The soldier's ironclad eyes instantly commanded respect and it was clear that he was in no mood for a long drawn out excuse or explanation. The Doctor could almost see the wolf within, growling at him with its teeth bared as he once again threatened to antagonise the Nimarian.

"I'm fine," Peter told him. "Now, what do you want?"

Opening his mouth to speak, the Doctor thought better of it and instead dug his hand deep into his coat pocket. Quickly finding what he was after he placed Peter's SIG P226 gun, still housed securely in its sheath, carefully onto the dashboard in front of him.

The lieutenant's face instantly softened and he sat up straight in his seat at the sight of the weapon.

"You still have it." He said with surprise. "I thought you might have…."

"I don't like guns." The Doctor reiterated. "I really don't. But I suppose that comes from the people I've seen use them."

"You mean people like me? Those willing to pull the trigger. Yeah, I guess there are a few bad examples. But sometimes words aren't enough to protect lives."

"No, I guess not. You did give Karina and the others every chance to surrender."

"They were never going to, Doctor. They were too desperate, too cut off from everything they knew. They were just trying to survive in the only way they knew how." Peter replied. "Still, you're right. I warned them about the consequences of not stopping. It wasn't the first time I've have to do it for someone, and it won't be the last."

He had said this quite defensively, as though expecting the Doctor to reprimand him for such views.

"I'm sure you will." The Time Lord told him. "In the meantime, however. I think I owe you an apology."

Sensing that the conversation had reached the point the Doctor had been trying to make in the first place, Peter tossed his magazine onto the dashboard and took in a deep breath as he braced himself to hear something he knew was going to make him more irritable than he already was.

"Apologise?" He asked. "Whatever for?"

"Back down in the cave, I shouldn't have pressured you like that." The Doctor said. "You'd only just found out about Valerus and there I was trying to force you to go there."

"Pressured me? Well, that's one way of putting it, Doctor. No offence though, I don't think you could ever force me into doing something."

The Doctor smiled and shook his head.

"No, I don't think I could." He admitted. "Besides, I don't usually offer trips in the TARDIS. I only take the best and those people are quite remarkable."

Peter didn't need to be told this. Included as part of the file UNIT had compiled on the Doctor was a list of all known travelling companions and other acquaintances stretching back decades to the very early days when the Time Lord had first set up the organisation.

"Should I be insulted or honoured?" He asked half-seriously. "You did offer me a ride, after all."

"That I did, lieutenant. But it was for the wrong reasons and I wanted to say sorry for -"

"For treating me like a jigsaw puzzle and only thinking about your curiosity?" The soldier finished for him. "Yeah, that might irritate some people, Doctor."

"Yes, I know." The Doctor said. "I am sorry, Peter."

He watched as Peter studied him for a moment. Lying to a NImarian wolf was almost impossible and it was never a good idea to say something that wasn't genuinely meant. Also, the Doctor knew that the younger man had been more hurt by how he had made his case for Valerus, rather than making it at all.

"It's okay," Peter told him. "Besides, it wasn't an entirely unreasonable assumption to make."

"Really? Because now that you -"

"That doesn't mean I want to go, Doctor."

The Doctor could hear the strain in his voice now and it was clear that he was unwilling to hear any more on the subject of his home planet. Stefan was right, Peter was remarkably stubborn and it was going to take more than an apology and a softer approach to make him change his mind.

"I know." He told him. "Earth is your home and you have a life here."

"That's right, I do," Peter affirmed. "Valerus hasn't given me thing."

"No… Well, except your name. Not to mention that ring you still choose to wear, and that tattoo it inspired."

He knew he had gotten halfway to making his point when Peter didn't immediately respond. The soldier instead looked down at the silvery band on his finger. The deep blue moonstone was gleaming back at him, the two lines embedded within faintly visible in the dreary morning light.

"I was three months old, Doctor." He eventually said. "Why bother giving me anything at all if they were just going to send me off in that ship?"

"Escape pod." The Doctor corrected. "But I would say it was a reminder that you once had something and someone on Valerus."

Peter considered this for a moment.

"I guess so." He admitted. "Still, it's like you said. Me being here is impossible and I was never meant to be on Earth in the first place. I doubt they thought I could have ended up on a different planet."

"Exactly! You weren't able to make such a journey. But maybe we could find out what happened?"

Peter seemed to have been drained of all his anger, it had been replaced by exhaustion and worry over questions that neither of them had the answers to.

"What if I don't have anything to go back to?" He asked. "I wear this ring, Doctor. But it's only because it's all I have, and I suppose part of me doesn't always… I don't want to hide what I am, but I have to."

The Doctor knew that he was very close now. A little more temptation and Peter wouldn't be able to resist finding out about where it was he came from. But he had to be careful, the choice had to come from him, or at least he had to think it was, and if Peter felt otherwise and decided that he was being forced again he would close up and never accept the idea.

"It must be hard." The Time Lord sympathised. "But out there, in the whole universe. There's so much more than humans and wolves. Well, I suppose I don't have to tell you that."

"No, I figured as much." Peter agreed. "It would be nice to learn a thing or two about other species. UNIT would kill for a reference guide if one could be written upon such a thing."

There it was.

The Doctor suddenly knew what it was going to take for Peter to agree to come with him in the TARDIS. How stupid was he not to have realised it had been staring him in the face the whole time? The uniform and who he worked for should have made it obvious. The lieutenant hadn't got to where he was from sitting behind a desk. No, he thrived on the new, the exciting and sometimes dangerous role of meeting aliens from other worlds.

It also had nothing to do with him not being human himself.

"Now there's a thought!" He stated. "Why don't…"

But Peter was no longer paying him any attention. He was staring at something in the rearview mirror. Looking back over his shoulder, the Doctor could see three cars had appeared. All of them were identical army issue black Land Rovers, and they were speeding across the uneven ground towards them.

UNIT had arrived.

Before the jeeps had even come to a complete stop, half a dozen armed soldiers in full combat gear had jumped out of the vehicles and swiftly positioned themselves around the clearing to make a secure perimeter surrounding the campsite. In less than thirty seconds, they had taken complete control.

"Clear!" One of them bellowed. "Area secure!"

Following Stefan out of the tent, Rose watched as the driver of the second car got out. In his hand was an umbrella, which he simultaneously managed to put up whilst opening the rear passenger door. The man then stood to attention and saluted as another soldier emerged. He wasn't that tall and was noticeably older, but what set him apart was that he was dressed in the distinguishable khaki dress uniform of an army officer.

She knew this had to be Major Harrison.

Despite the rain, he waved away the umbrella and the man holding it up for him. His unflinching expression was grimmer than the cloudy sky above and with a final neatening tug of his jacket, he marched across the field as though it were a parade ground and made straight for where the Doctor and Peter were stood waiting besides Rodger's Volvo.

Rose and Stefan made it over just in time, the corporal quickly falling in line with Peter.

The two soldiers smartly stood to attention as their shoulders fell back and arms became fixed at their sides. Saluting the major as he reached them, the officer returned the gesture before fixing his eyes squarely on Peter. Briefly, they wandered over towards the Doctor and Rose, but then returned to the lieutenant expectantly.

"Major Harrison." Peter greeted with conduct. "Sir."

"Lieutenant Argent." Major Harrison acknowledged. "You're still alive, then?"

It wasn't meant to be a joke and Peter did not laugh.

The major was a few inches shorter and two decades older than he was. Grey-haired, with a rather bulbous nose that had turned slightly red in the damp weather, he spoke with the voice of an old fashioned headmaster. He was also two ranks higher than him and unquestionably in charge from the moment he had arrived, and Peter knew that it was no longer his operation but rather Major Harrison's now. Underneath the officer's neutral expression was a fury that could be seen very clearly in his blue eyes.

The first warning sign was that he had not allowed Peter and Stefan to stand at ease, forcing them to maintain their locked in position.

"Yes, sir." He responded. "Still alive."

"Well, you could have fooled me, the pair of you."

Harrison then allowed a brief moment to pass as the rain continued to pour down upon them. He was unable to resist looking in the Doctor's direction once again as the Time Lord stood watching with Rose, his hands tucked into his coat pockets.

"Hello." He greeted with a smile. "Nice of you to show up."

Still with the picnic blanket wrapped around her, Rose saw a flicker of something across Harrison's face. Irritation? Amusement? It was impossible to tell, but she doubted that he was in the mood for either right now.

"The Doctor, I presume?" He said. "We haven't heard from you since Christmas."

"Yeah, Sycorax and blood control. Losing my hand… Who's the Prime Minister now?"

Major Harrison did not answer him and didn't look to care to as he turned back to Peter.

"Where do I start, Argent? He mused. "The Lymington River. Does that ring any bells for you, any at all?"

Peter hesitated and drew in a sharp intake of breath. He knew why he was being asked this, and he didn't dare question why. The name of the river that had flooded the cave had escaped him all night, but he knew that it was the only thing worth discussing right now. It didn't matter about the aliens or why they had come to Earth and how. All Harrison was currently concerned about was the events leading up to those final few moments.

"It's a river, sir." He began. "About two klicks west of here."

Overall, his commanding officer hardly ever shouted, but Peter had come to learn that the top brass didn't need to resort to doing so. There was a tone specially reserved for such occasions that seemed to strike home with whoever was on the receiving end of it. Perhaps it was the combination of disappointment marred with being told off as a child would be by a parent, but it did the job well enough.

"Yes, it was." Harrison snapped, emphasising every word. "Now, however, it is just a dried-up stretch of mud stretching from here to Brockenhurst!"

"Major Harrison," the Doctor jumped in. "If I might -"

"No, you may not, Doctor." The officer told him, holding up a finger. "I will come to your part in a moment. Right now, I am more curious to understand how a whole river has been swallowed up from the very ground beneath it as an earthquake tore through this part of the New Forest."

"Sir, I -"

As Harrison looked his way again, Peter had taken his chance and tried to explain what had happened. But he didn't get very far and was cut off after barely being able to open his mouth. The frustration and exasperation at the destruction caused by the operation were clear to see on the major's face.

Not one for wasting words, however, his commanding officer managed to express all of this in just two of them.

"What happened?"

"There were multiple hostiles, sir," Peter explained. "The dead creature you've seen at the base was just one of six in total. It was the last one and we were directly under the river. Several grenades were used at that point."

"Several?"

Peter cleared his throat nervously.

"Yes, sir." He replied. "The hostile refused to surrender and with our weapons rendered ineffective, I took action when the creature was in range of mine and Corporal Amell's packs, which contained the grenades. The cave flooded and we escaped through an underwater tunnel."

For a moment Harrison was speechless, more so in disbelief rather than anger. Perhaps he was just wondering how they were all still alive after such exploits. But then the stoic discipline instilled upon him by the army returned as his brow creased into a frown.

"What of the other four?" He asked. "Where are they now?"

"Neutralised, sir," Peter replied. "They didn't want to come quietly."

Harrison glanced at Stefan questioningly, who immediately nodded in agreement.

"Yes, sir." He said. "They were openly hostile and engaged without provocation."

Perhaps it was the sight of the corporal's bruised eye and the large slash marks on his neck, the gauze pad having been lost during his dive, but Major Harrison decided that they had suffered enough already and that there was no sense in drawing out his reprimand any longer.

"Alright, gentlemen. At ease." He allowed. "Argent, you recovered the primary?"

Grateful to be free to relax his posture somewhat, Peter nodded and almost dared to smile as he let out a sigh of relief. At least he had done something right in that Jane was alive and well, and that he had successfully pulled off the operation with only minor injuries to report.

"Yes sir, she's in the tent." He told him. "Unhurt and just a little bit shook up."

Major Harrison nodded approvingly at this, and for a moment looked as though he might say something to back it up. But he instead chose to regard the Doctor and Rose with a curious expression that had managed to seep in through the otherwise steadfast gaze.

"Dare I ask how you came to be involved, Doctor?" He asked. "Also, a civilian take along for the ride. Miss Tyler, I believe?"

"Oh, we were just passing through." The Doctor said. "We sort of invited ourselves along."

He noticed a hint of a smile on Peter's lips, and it made him happy to see the soldier remembering their initial meeting with amusement now rather than the anger he'd originally greeted them with. It hadn't been the best of starts, but after a rather bumpy beginning and middle, the ending had turned out rather well.

"I'm surprised Argent would let you anywhere near his operation?" Harrison questioned, looking at Peter. "You never expressed any interest in a Code Nine, let alone considering the idea of teaming up in the field?"

"Opinions can change, sir." Peter countered. "Besides, he wouldn't shut up until I did."

"That's true." Rose agreed, grinning at the Time Lord. "Though it does get us into trouble sometimes."

"You wouldn't have it any other way." The Doctor told her, smiling as he took her hand in his. "But, I must say Major Harrison. You have two of UNIT's finest here. They conducted themselves brilliantly and I don't often say that about people with guns."

"Indeed." Harrison agreed. "Despite the destruction, I'd say overall it was mission accomplished."

Rose realised that it was all he was going to say. He wasn't about to thank his men for the immense and difficult job they had done, for saving Jane's life and most of the New Forest from those horrible creatures. Worst still, Peter and Stefan didn't look to be expecting any praises either.

"Congratulations are in order, don't you think?" She demanded. "It's been a horrid night and -"

"Rose, it's fine." Peter interrupted, looking amusement at her outburst. "It's our job, and everyone came home safe. That's all that matters."

"Yes, but -

"Miss Tyler. Apologies if you mistake my words for anything other than ones of gratitude." Major Harrison jumped in politely. "Let me reassure you that I could not be prouder of Lieutenant Argent and his team for their work over that last twenty-four hours. As the Doctor stated, they are some of our best and we do recognise that today. I dare say had anyone else but Argent took this operation on then I would be looking at a considerable loss of life and goodness knows what else."

Peter had gone slightly red at this and was forced to look down at his boots for a moment.

"Major Harrison, sir." He then said. "We couldn't have done it without the Doctor and Miss Tyler's help."

"Oh, don't be silly. We were just tagalongs." The Doctor dismissed. "It was fun, though. Wasn't it, Rose?"

Rose's didn't feel like agreeing as eagerly. Fun was not how she would describe this adventure, and nor would it be even long after they had returned to the TARDIS and left. But she was grateful to have come out of it in one piece, and she knew that she wouldn't forget what she had seen in a hurry.

His steel exterior fading now, Major Harrison looked over at Stefan and examined in more detail the series of cuts and bruises that were adorning his face and arms. His swollen eye was turning from red to a very nasty shade of purple and he had one hand against his ribs once again.

"Corporal Amell, you look awful." He pointed out. "Lose a fight, did we?"

"Of sorts, sir," Stefan replied, smiling as he caught Peter's eye. "One or two close encounters with the hostiles."

"Well, you can get yourself checked out back at the base." The major told him, nodding over at the jeeps. "My men will deal with everything from here."

Two of the soldiers had been stood talking with Rodger, one taking his statement down on a small notepad. Another carrying a medical kit similar to Gordon's had entered the tent soon after arriving and now had reappeared with Jane Wilson in tow. The woman was very unsteady on her feet and another solider was called over to help escort her across the field and towards one of the parked Land Rovers.

"Where are you taking her?" Rose questioned when she saw this. "Jane, where is she going?"

"Miss Tyler, we'll look after her," Harrison reassured. "But we need to get her away from here first and give her the proper care she needs."

"But -"

"Rose, she'll be fine," Peter told her. "I promise."

Nodding, Rose did not argue back. After all that had happened, she knew that the woman's life would be changed forever, but at least she could begin to grieve over her boyfriend and would be able to move on and put all of it behind her like one big horrible nightmare.

"Okay," she said. "What happens now?"

"We're happy to take you back to the TARDIS." Harrison offered, before looking back at the Doctor. "With respect, Doctor. I don't think you'll want to stick around for the cleanup and paperwork?"

"Well -"

"Excellent, I thought not."

Harrison hadn't even waited for his answer and was already starting to walk away back towards the cars, Peter and Stefan standing to attention and saluting again as he left. The soldiers guarding the perimeter remained in place, as did those currently interviewing Rodger. They would leave later, once UNIT felt as though the site no longer needed to be kept under lockdown.

Once Harrison was gone, Peter turned to face the Doctor.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye?" He said. "It's been interesting, Doctor. To say the least."

Respectfully he held out his hand towards him. The Doctor shook it happily.

"Yes, shame it was only for the one night." He said. "But I'm sure we'll meet again, lieutenant."

Maybe Peter was suspicious that he wasn't trying to persuade him one more time to travel with him. But then, after a moment of hesitation, he shot Rose a courteous nod and turned away from the two time travellers as he followed after Major Harrison.

Stefan, however, chose to linger a while longer and waited until he was sure his friend could no longer hear them over the rain.

"You tried." He acknowledged. "But if he really doesn't want to…. One question though, Doctor?"

"Sure. Fire away."

"Down in the cave, after Peter threatened Karugon with his gun." Stefan continued. "I said he wouldn't doing anything bad, and you said maybe with me here?"

"Yes, I did." The Doctor said. "I still think that's true."

"Yes, but Peter wouldn't kill someone just because I wasn't there. He's got a temper for sure, but he would do anything like that."

"You do have a way of keeping him anchored down, though. Normally only other wolves can do that, certainly not a human." The Doctor told him. "But then again most wolves wouldn't leap to the defence of an outsider, especially when they've transformed. No, Peter and you are unique in those respects."

Stefan understood the point he was making.

"But an anchor can also weight something down." He said. "Me, Earth…. It's holding him back and you think he needs the chance to be around his own kind?"

The Doctor nodded and faintly smiled at the soldier.

"You're very smart, Stefan. You're also a good friend, and I promise we'll look after him." He assured. "Though I think maybe he'll look after us?"

"You haven't persuaded him yet." Stefan pointed out. "But just be honest and tell him why you want him to come. Stand by him and don't run off. I stuck around and he seems to tolerate this human well enough."

His point made, the corporal then turned away without further comment and left them as he headed after his best friend.


	25. Chapter 24

Sleep came from the moment Rose rested her head against the back of her seat.

Having climbed into the Land Rover and clipped in her seatbelt she had nodded off even before the driver had turned on the engine. What seemed to be only a few seconds for her passed before Rose then found herself being gently shaken awake by The Doctor.

"Come on, Rose." He said. "We're back."

"Back at the TARDIS?"

"No, back at the base. I asked for us to be brought here first."

There were no windows in the back of the jeep, all of the seats were facing sideways to accommodate more of the soldiers it normally transported. The only source of light, save from that of the windshield was the rear door at the back of the vehicle. Stretching out her arms as she let out a big yawn, Rose saw the top of a khaki coloured tent as the Doctor climbed out ahead of her.

The base was a hive of activity and looked so much smaller in the daylight than it had done the previous night. But this was largely due to most of it being in the process of being dismantled by those of Harrison's men who had remained behind. Already they had made quick work of taking apart the accommodation tent and the larger structure that had been used as a mess and briefing room. Rose wondered what they had done with the dead creature that had been laid out on a table inside it, and where such a thing would have been taken from here. Also gone was the plastic white and yellow tent that had been housing Tom Richardson's body.

Both it and Tom had served their purpose now.

Making the base seem even more busy was the presence of two ambulances that were parked on the other side of Peter's tent. The rear doors of the large fluorescent coloured vans were open and Rose spotted one of the paramedics in their distinguishable green overalls.

"Doctor, what are we doing here?" She asked. "Why aren't we going back to the TARDIS?"

"We will soon enough." He reassured her. "Just some unfinished business to take care of."

"You mean Peter, don't you?"

The Doctor neither confirmed nor denied this.

He had asked the driver of their car to drop them off away from the middle of the base, some twenty or so meters away from the tents. Much to the soldier's confusion, he had then been ordered to drive the jeep back over and join up with the one Peter, Stefan and Major Harrison had made the journey in. Jane Wilson had been in the last car, and that one had driven off at great speed in the opposite direction as soon as they had reached the main road. No doubt she was on her way to a secure location for treatment and questioning, and the Time Lord knew she was in capable hands.

From their vantage point, and with the skeletal remains of the mess tent between them and the convoy, it was easy to see everyone and hear what was being said without being immediately noticeable. The rain had ebbed away into a drizzle, and the nearest of the soldiers chose to ignore the Doctor and Rose even if they did spot them as they quickly packed away all of their equipment.

A big distraction took attention away from the Time Lord and his companion once word got around Peter's team that their commanding officer and Stefan had arrived back.

"What's all this?" Peter laughed. "Haven't you lot got jobs to do?"

Stepping out of the car to a guard of honour as his team applauded him and Stefan, the lieutenant smiled proudly at each of the soldiers in turn. Only Davidson was absent given he had been attacked and wounded by one of the creatures during the operation. Major Harrison had informed both of them on the ride over that the soldier had been transported to the hospital that morning and was going to make a full recovery.

"Yes, boss. But first I'll be taking my winnings." Thompson declared. "Gordon, pay up. You owe me a tenner!"

The medic didn't seem too upset to have lost his bet. To have won meant that he had been right about something awful happening to his comrades. Of course, he wasn't currently carrying any money on him at the moment, but he'd have happily paid a lot more to have been proven wrong.

"Tell you what, I'll give you half seeing as Amell looks like he's gone three rounds with one of them."

"Charming, the lot of you." Stefan scolded mockingly. "Taking bets on our survival?"

"I know, the cheek of it!" Peter added. "Maybe a drill run in full kit will make them all think twice?"

Everyone knew that he was joking of course, and Peter hadn't expected anything less from his team. Working under such hazardous conditions meant it was important to keep morale up, even if that meant enduring the occasional wagers and terrible jokes that inevitably came with the job as much as the monsters and aliens did.

"Would that be before or after you took out a whole river, sir?" Becker responded. "We didn't dare believe it when they told us."

"Yeah, it was a shock for us too," Stefan said, maintaining a straight face. "Needless to say we won't be doing that again."

Major Harrison chose this moment to step out of the Land Rover. At once all of the soldiers stood to attention and saluted, but the senior officer was quick to wave away necessity for the formalities. He wasn't quite smiling but, it was as good as a response as he was prepared to give.

"Yes, it was all a bit of seat of pants." He summarised. "But at the end of the day, primary rescued and targets neutralised."

"Just about, sir." Peter pointed out. "One or two close calls. A species unknown to us living for months undetected with us still have no idea how they even got to Earth."

Spotting that Stefan was holding onto his side again, he knew he needed to be checked out by the waiting paramedics. Despite his bravado, the corporal could be concealing something serious, and both of them needed rest and a warm meal. Peter himself had healed form a catalogue of injuries, a greater number even by his own standards, and he was running on empty now and could feel his every bone aching. Having been brought from the brink of death by drowning, his chest still felt as though someone was still pressing against it.

The major had no clue how much of a close call it had been.

It was easy to say the mission had been a success once it was all over, and the good and bad points were obvious now. Still, rank came with the privilege of assuming control at whichever point was best suited and Major Harrison had the right to make the final decision on how the operation had gone.

"History will say we did well and you will have a good few after-dinner stories to tell." He continued. "Shame we lost the creature's ship and some valuable equipment along the way, not to mention the cost to the taxpayer to sort out the river. Hey, ho. Lieutenant Argent. I'll be expecting your after-action report before we leave for Southampton."

Paperwork was as far from Peter's mind as the Moon was from Earth.

"Yes, sir." He replied. "Understood, sir."

"Very good," Harrison responded. "Gentlemen, as you were."

They all stood to attention again as the major walked off, the officer somehow taking away with him the jubilant mood which had momentarily taken over the team.

"Forward, he cried." Peter then stated. "From the rear."

It was a lyric from a Pink Floyd song that he had first heard from another cadet whilst at Sandhurst. Despite training to become officers themselves, sometimes it helped to poke a little good-natured fun at those who had perhaps been sitting behind a desk longer than they had been out in the field.

The trick always worked, especially with the lower ranks and those newer to the soldiering life.

"Well, no one leads better from the front that you, sir," Kensington admitted. "Although, some of us do prefer the rear."

Peter smirked back at his second-in-command.

Eugene certainly was better suited for management than he was and would climb high in the ranks as a result.

It was a hard balance sometimes to be both a soldier and a leader, and officers would ofter swing in one direction or the other. Peter knew that he was just the opposite side of the same coin to the second lieutenant, and a recommendation from UNIT upon recruitment had been a large factor in him even considering to obtain his commission. Also, the desire to be able to make the decisions unhindered whilst being able to play an active role in operations suited Peter perfectly.

"Boss?" Hart questioned. "Where's the Doctor and Rose? They're not with you."

"They've gone back to the TARDIS," Peter replied. "We already said our goodbyes."

"Yeah, but you never know with him," Stefan said. "He might keep coming back like a bad penny."

He chose not to explain himself when Peter looked at him curiously. Tired and no longer caring, however, his friend did not ask for one.

"Regardless, each of you did me proud today. Go on, get on with your work and I'll fill you all in later." Peter informed them. "Gordon, do you think you could take a look at Stefan? I think he's busted a rib and he took a nasty fall down in the caves."

"Of course, although..." The medic began, smiling. "Maybe he'd rather see the wife instead?"

"What?" Stefan gasped, looking over in the direction of the ambulances. "Emma's here?"

"She practically begged dispatch for the job, snatched it right out of their hands as soon as it came in. Beat the other ambulance here by ten minutes."

Peter laughed and clapped a hand on Stefan's shoulder.

"Come on, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer." He said. "Thanks, Gordon, we'll see you later."

Out of the four paramedics, Emma Amell was the only woman. Pretty, with long strawberry-blonde hair that had been put up neatly into a high ponytail, she was also one of the youngest and it was clear to see the engagement ring and wedding band sitting together on her left hand.

The Doctor could also see the fraught look of worry on her face.

Having moved to behind the flaps of Peter's tent with Rose, ignoring curious glances from the occasional passing soldier, it hadn't come as much of a surprise to encounter Stefan's wife here. Her line of work made her just as employable to UNIT than her husband, and it wasn't such an improbability that they had ended up working for the same organisation. It wasn't just soldiers that were needed to defend the Earth, they were just the main line of defence standing in front of a multitude of people and resources from every background imaginable.

Just one part of the well-oiled machine was providing medical care to their operatives out in the field.

"Doctor, what are we waiting for?" Rose asked. "Just go up and -"

"No, not right now." He said. "Just another minute."

Rose supposed the Time Lord wanted to observe the soldier a little more before once again engaging him on the subject of travelling with them. She didn't like to admit it, but she had been slightly upset that he was thinking of bringing someone else aboard the TARDIS, albeit however temporarily, without asking her if she was okay with it. Still, Rose wouldn't have minded even if Peter had enthusiastically agreed to come.

But he hadn't, and she couldn't work out why the Doctor wanted to change his mind so badly.

"Doctor, don't you think -"

"Shush, here he comes."

Peter and Stefan had appeared and were making their way over to the ambulances. They were a complete mess, covered head to toe in mud, sweat and dried blood. The remaining parts of their uniforms were torn all over and Stefan's injuries looked even more terrible in the cold morning light. But still, both men were managing to smile, perhaps grateful to at last be done with their work.

Emma beamed with relief when she saw them and couldn't contain her delight as she embraced her husband.

"Oh, my god!" She squealed, Wapping her arms around his neck. "They said you were okay, but I can never trust them.

Letting go of Stefan, she kissed him softly on the lips.

It was only then did she allow herself to properly take in the sight of his swollen face, and she was quick to frown as her medical eye glanced over the gashes and bruises covering his skin.

"We tripped coming down a hill," Stefan admitted. "It looks worse than it is. I think I've done my ribs in though."

"I'll be the judge of that." Emma challenged. "What about this?"

She pointed at the slash marks caused by the infant creature that had almost managed to rip his throat out.

"You should see the other guy," Peter told her, stepping forward. "Well, it wasn't exactly a guy…. More of a bat."

Emma laughed and didn't waste any time in greeting her friend as she gave him a big hug and a quick peck on the cheek. But she could no longer ignore the smell coming from him and Stefan. All of the grime and dankness of the caves as well their swim had created a horrible cocktail of stenches that assaulted her nose and was making her eyes water.

"Oh, Peter!" She explained. "You stink!"

"Yeah, I'm breathing through my mouth right now." He said. "Could do with a hose down, and a cup of tea wouldn't go amiss either."

Fortunately for both men, tea came as part of the ambulances most basic kits and they were soon sat down each with a cup of the hot beverage pressed between their hands. Made with extra sugar it came as a welcome relief, more so than the bright orange blankets Emma insisted on wrapping around each of them.

"It's in case of shock." She told them. "Better safe than sorry."

"We're not in shock." Peter moaned. "Really, Emma."

"Yes, really. Also, Lieutenant Argent, it is February and you don't even have a coat on."

"Touché." He replied. "It got blown up, as it happens. Along with the rest of the equipment."

Making a show of wrapping the blanket around him a little more, Peter knew some could easily notice that he wasn't shivering despite a lacking of layers. It wasn't as though he had never been cold before, but it did take much more than an outdoor swim to send a chill up his spine.

Stefan had wisely decided not to argue against his care and was allowed to finish his tea before Emma handed him over to one of the other paramedics. A dark-skinned man in his late twenties with a large beard, he chatted briefly with the corporal before escorting him inside the ambulance to assess and treat him. With the other two paramedics staying inside their vehicle, this left Peter and Emma alone as she sat down beside him on the rear step.

Rose could see as they chatted how very relaxed Peter now was. All of the hostilities and temper he had carried around all night had vanished now, especially seeing as he was no longer faced with life or death situations. He had known Emma since childhood and there was little to doubt that she knew what he was.

Emma herself confirmed this theory herself a moment later.

"You're okay, though?" She asked. "All healed up, nothing to report?"

"All good. It sorted itself out."

He was exhausted though, and his eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep. With his head resting against the doorframe of the ambulance, Peter was beginning to nod off, his eyelids drooped a few times only for him to jerk himself awake again. Rose knew exactly how he was feeling. Despite the borrowed fleece and the tartan picnic blanket she was still wearing, she was numb all over and just standing up was becoming hard work. The one spark of warmth left was the Doctor's hand as it clasped tightly around hers.

"Doctor?" She breathed. "Can we get this over with? I'm done in."

Realising how very tired she was, he nodded and smiled as he kept hold of her hand and wrapped his free arm gently around her shoulders. Keeping her close, he then led her over towards the ambulances.

"Excuse me?" He called out to Emma. "Sorry to bother you."

He was pleased to see the look of shocked surprise on Peter's face when he saw them. Despite his impressive senses, the Nimarian had failed to notice their presence despite them only being a few feet away from him. But then again, he'd had every reason to believe they had already upped and left in the TARDIS.

"Doctor, Rose?" He questioned. "You're still here?"

"Doctor?" Emma inquired. "Medically, or is this actually him?"

"No… Well, I have been known to dabble. No, I am the Doctor." The Time Lord greeted. "You must be Missus Emma Amell?"

Emma didn't feel as though she had to confirm this. Standing up and putting her hands on her hips, she regarded the Time Lord with some suspicion. But then her expression softened as she took in Rose's pale face and the fact that she was being supported by the Doctor.

"Do you need help?" She asked her. "Hold on. George, I need you out here."

Quickly summoning another paramedic from the second ambulance, Emma brought him over to Rose.

"It's Rose, isn't it? Rose, I think you should go and lie down." She told her gently. "Given what you've been through, good sleep at the very least will do you a world of good. George, can you take her?"

"Sure, Emma." He replied. "Come on, Rose. Let's get you seen to."

"Go on, Rose." The Doctor encouraged. "I'll be right outside."

"Yeah." She mumbled. "Okay."

Not wanting to fight them on this, even if she had the strength to, Rose nodded and allowed the paramedic to gently detach her from the Doctor. Slowly he began coaxing her into following him over to the ambulance, his arm hovering behind her beck in case she stumbled. Glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes fleetingly locked with Peter's and she knew that she would remember those grey orbs of his for a long time and that she would never forget the sight of the gigantic wolf which he could so easily become.

Rose suddenly felt sad that this was most likely goodbye.

The Doctor chose to wait until his companion had been safely escorted into the ambulance before he turned back to face Emma and Peter. Even then, however, he hesitated. This wasn't the place to make his bid and there were too many people around to openly discuss certain things. Still, neither of them looked as though they were going to say anything to him so it was going to have to be him that went first.

"Right, where were we?" He asked. "Oh, yes. I'm not that kind of doctor, no."

Frowning, Emma looked over at Peter who merely smiled and shrugged back at her.

"Right, and how are you, Doctor?" She then asked the Time Lord. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I would like to get into some dry clothes. My dampers are… damp." He replied, indicating soggy trainers. "Also, I would like to know what they did with the creature's body. Wouldn't mind giving it a second exam-"

"Doctor." Emma interrupted. "I meant medically speaking? Do you need treatment?"

"Oh, of course." He released. "Erm… No, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have my patient to attend to."

Turning back to Peter, she did not see the bemused look which crossed the Time Lord's face. Since he was facing him, Peter did see it and quickly returned with a challenging gaze the Doctor had already interpreted as his way of demanding to know what it was he wanted to say.

There were no secrets between them now, and permission was given for him to continue as the soldier nodded his head.

"Right, yes." The Doctor agreed. "Then again, there isn't much to do given those regenerative cells of his. Also, I'm no expert but normally you'd use a light for that. Then again, maybe not given the tapetum lucidum in his eyes."

Emma froze before she turned on the spot to face him.

She had been in the process of checking Peter for signs of concussion. But rather than using a torch to check the responsiveness of his pupils, she had opted instead to use her finger, just as Stefan had done down in the cave. They both knew that given his ability to see so well in the dark, a side-effect existed where any strong and direct light such as a torch beam would temporarily blind the Nimarian and force him to turn away from it.

"It's okay." Peter quickly reassured his friend. "He knows."

There was only one thing that he could be referring to.

"Oh," Emma replied, slightly taken aback. "I see. So you just told him, or did you…?"

"I showed him… Well, I had to in order to stop one of the creatures." He admitted. "But he'd already guessed it anyway."

"Well I had a clue, but no solid idea." The Doctor added. "But it was a privilege to see, as I'm sure you're -"

"Yes, Doctor." Emma swiftly cut in, frowning at him. "But you have to understand that -"

"Emma, it's fine," Peter assured. "I already read him the riot act, he knows not to blab and we can rely on him not to do so."

The Doctor smiled and nodded in agreement, but it did little to assure Emma that he could be trusted entirely. From the calculated cold stare she shot him, he knew that she was just as protective of her friend and his secret as her husband and Peter himself was. Together the three of them had hidden it away for years and gone above and beyond to guard it, even if they didn't fully comprehend it themselves.

No wonder Peter trusted them so much.

"Can I just say, you and Stefan are amazing." The Time Lord told her. "Really, I mean that."

"High praise indeed, I suppose." She quipped. "Well, Doctor. If Peter trusts you then…"

Not finishing her sentence as she looked over the Doctor's shoulder, the cause of her distraction soon presented itself in the form of Major Harrison.

Shrugging off his blanket, Peter jumped to his feet and stood to attention, relaxing a moment later as the officer allowed him to with a nod. He wondered why Harrison had bothered to come over to see him again. Hadn't everything been said over by the car? All that was left on his part was to turn in his report on the mission and sign off on some more paperwork back at their barracks in Southampton.

But as it turned out, Major Harrison wasn't here to chase him over his administrative duties.

"Doctor, you're still here?" He enquired. "Any reason in particular?"

"Well…" The Doctor began, hesitating. "I just wanted to…"

"To get his companion a check-up before they left, sir," Peter answered ahead of him. "Just as a precaution."

Harrison looked for a moment to question this, but Rose's absence soon helped sway him over into accepting it.

"Very good." He said. "On the subject, are you fit to resume your duties, lieutenant? I'm sure your report will make for some interesting reading."

"Yes, sir." Peter agreed. "I'll make a start on it now. Emma, you'll let me know how Stefan is?"

"Of course I will." She agreed. "You go, I'll see you later."

Smiling at his friend, Peter then stood to attention once again for the sake of Major Harrison. Before he left, however, the soldier looked over at the Doctor and, much to the Time Lord's surprise, offered him a presentable salute.

"I don't do salutes." He told him. "Really, there's no need."

"Doctor, we couldn't have done it without you," Peter replied. "Also, with every possible respect, just shut up and take it."

"Thank you, Argent," Harrison said, sounding slightly amused by this. "You are dismissed."

Before the Doctor had a chance to say anything else, Peter walked away from them as he headed off in the direction of his tent. Knowing he was running out of both time and chances to present his case, it suddenly occurred to him as he turned to Major Harrison that perhaps he didn't have to run his plan through Peter first.

Drawn over by the Time Lord, and curious over why he had chosen to linger given his notable reputation for leaving almost immediately, Harrison could see a most peculiar expression on the man's face and he could sense a bizarre conversion coming his way.

"Major Harrison." The Doctor stated. "You said it yourself, Peter is one of your finest officers?"

"He is. Why are you asking?"

"Well, Major Harrison. I was wondering if I could have a word concerning a new venture UNIT might want to undertake?"

Harrison's eyebrows rose up at this and he might have asked for more details. But with Corporal Amell's wife and other civilians in the immediate vicinity, he knew better than discussing such a topic out in the open.

"Very well." He said. "Why don't we walk and talk, Doctor?"

Feeling the watchful gaze of Emma Amell digging into the back of his skull as he turned away, the Doctor fell into step with Major Harrison and began to talk.


	26. Chapter 25

The final report of what had taken place in the New Forest over the past thirty-six hours would not be completed for at least another seven weeks.

Salvage teams needed to be sent down into the flooded cave to retrieve what remained of the creature's ship. Only then could it and the body of one of the alien's be examined by scores of scientists, officials and experts UNIT would summon so that some sense could be made concerning this deadly race.

Until then, a firsthand account was going to be the only source of any viable information.

Writing it up by hand, Peter Argent had only managed to commit less than half of the operation's summarisation to paper before he finally gave in to the fatigue that had been plaguing him half the night. Falling asleep at this desk, he was snoring softly with his head resting on the crook of his arm, the pen he had been using still sitting between his fingers.

He did not wake even when a small breeze picked up and began to whirl around the tent, disturbing the neatened piles of paperwork Kensington had organised so well.

But it wasn't coming from outside.

The poor weather had finally dispersed and the sun was now managing to penetrate through thinning clouds. Also with the flap covering the doorway of the tent pulled down, the sudden flurry of air shouldn't have been able to make its way in.

Then the wind got stronger as a faint whooshing sound could be heard. Taking over as the gust finally died down, the TARDIS began to materialise.

Only just short enough to fit into the tent, the very top of the light on its roof a few inches away from the canvas roof, the time machine had not made its usual noisy arrival this time. Engines which normally clanked and groaned as though in protest of being used had fallen uncharacteristically quiet as it landed.

The Doctor understood why the moment he stepped out of his ship.

Peter's sleep had not been disturbed by the Time Lord's arrival and the TARDIS had seemed to have sensed the importance of this before coming here.

As he walked over to the desk, the Doctor could see that the lieutenant had scrubbed himself clean and put on a fresh uniform, having not forgotten to wear a jacket this time. But the layers of grime had hidden how tired he was and the hardened look of a seasoned soldier had been washed away along with it.

The formidable wolf was now a slumbering cub.

Carefully sitting himself down opposite him, the Doctor winced as the chair creaked underneath his weight. Still, Peter did not wake up and it was clear that he wasn't going to without further prompt. But before he did that, the Doctor had noticed the unfinished mission report lying tucked beneath Peter's arm. Reaching out for it, he slowly and carefully tried to take it out from under him.

The soldier shuffled in his sleep, allowing the paperwork to come away unhindered.

Pausing for a moment to make sure that he had gotten away with it, the Doctor smiled at him before looking down at what had already been written down. Certain elements had been cleverly worded whilst others had been left out entirely, concealing what Peter had decided UNIT shouldn't know about.

But with the lieutenant sleeping like a log, there wasn't going to be much else added to it anytime soon. Stealing the pen out of his limp hand, the Doctor thought for a moment as he twirled the plastic biro around his fingers. Then, setting down the report in front of him, he began to write.

Ten minutes later and Major Harrison was going to have nothing to complain about as the completed and comprehensive summary of the operation was set down back next to its supposed author.

Now it was time for him to wake up.

Knowing exactly how he was going to achieve this, the Doctor swung his legs up onto the desk just as he had done the previous night. He had deliberately kept on the same pair of trainers he had been wearing in the cave, and the damp and muddied material stunk.

Just a few inches away from Peter's nose, the smell quickly brought him out of his deep slumber.

The Doctor caught sight of a brief flickering of yellow light in his eyes as they fluttered open. The Nimarian groaned and lifted up his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked up and saw the Time Lord sitting opposite him.

"Oh," he winced. "Doctor?"

"You looked worn out." The Doctor told him. "Rough night?"

Peter let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, not exactly a smooth ride." He admitted. "Feet off my desk."

Grinning back as he obeyed the order, the Doctor waited as Peter sat himself up properly in his seat. The soldier's eyes briefly looked over at the TARDIS, the sight of the large blue box didn't seem to be of any surprise to him.

"How's Rose?" He asked. "She seemed pretty tired herself."

"Oh, she's fine." The Time Lord replied, pointing over his shoulder at his ship. "Fast asleep in there."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."

"What about you, lieutenant? How are you feeling?"

Peter smiled at him and drew in a deep breath.

The mission had been challenging and full of danger, death and destruction. Possessing both physical and mental prowess did not guarantee that such an experience could easily be cast aside. But rigorous training and past experiences went a long way in helping him to do that.

"We got Jane out of there alive and well. There were no fatalities or serious injuries to report." He replied. "Knowing that is good enough for me, Doctor."

"But we never found out where they came from, did we?" The Doctor pointed out. "Giant bats from outer space, from the far future…. You're not disappointed about that?"

"A little, but it wouldn't have helped us in the end. Whatever they were and wherever they came from doesn't matter when they chose to define themselves by hurting and killing innocent people."

The Doctor couldn't argue against this.

Karina, Karugon, Kalagan… Their very existence depended on stealing the lives of others and, rather than finding a peaceful solution in which to do this, they had chosen a bloodied and ruthless path that had ultimately led to their demise.

"You gave them more than enough chances." He replied. "No doubt your report will reflect that. Speaking of which, how's it coming along?"

Peter quickly realised something was amiss and an unconscious touch of his hand told him that his report was no longer where it had been. Looking down and seeing the piece of paper was now sitting just to the left of him, it was immediately clear that there were a lot more lines of writing than he remembered it having.

"Tell me you didn't!?" He growled, picking it up. "Doctor, that is really…. What the hell did you write?"

To his astonishment, Peter saw that the Time Lord had managed to replicate his handwriting perfectly. But as he quickly skimmed through the additions, he also found himself both reassured and impressed by how the latter part of the mission's narrative had been portrayed.

"Satisfied?" The Doctor questioned. "I could always change one or two…"

"No, no it's good," Peter muttered. "Really, it's… perfect. Since when could you write up a military report?"

"You should see the one I came up with for the Battle of Trafalgar."

"Don't tell me, you and Nelson were mates?"

"Well, now that you mention it…"

Shaking his head with disbelief, Peter put the report down and studied the remarkable man he was sitting across from.

"I thought I had you all figured out." He said. "That'll teach me to judge someone from records alone."

"Yes, speaking of which," the Doctor replied. "I've been doing a little reading myself."

He then pulled an A4 sized folder out from the folds of his coat.

Made of thick brown paper, the front cover bore UNIT's winged logo and had TOP SECRET stamped across it in bright scarlet ink. The rank and full name of the individual it concerned was printed neatly on a white label that was stuck down onto the dividing tab.

"You looked at my file?" Peter asked. "Why?"

"It's only fair. You've seen mine."

"True." Peter agreed. "So, did you find anything interesting?"

"Oh, several things." The Time Lord said. "Some of which I already knew, of course."

Aware of what was written down in his file, Peter frowned at him curiously.

"What did you already know?" He asked. "That's just a record of my previous assignments."

The Doctor responded with a faint smile.

He had only needed to read the pages contained within the folder once before he had instantly committed them to memory. But every reread of the information inside his own head had left the Time Lord even more impressed with the man the profile presented.

Stefan hadn't been joking about his friend's multilingual skills.

Peter had been recruited by UNIT aged just eighteen was accepted into Sandhurst only a year later. In the years that followed he had forged a distinguishable career and come across some of the universe's worst inhabitants, including the aliens which had owned the giant stingers.

Austria had been just over eight months ago and it had only strengthened the soldier's reputation as an operative UNIT could rely on time and time again to complete operations many others would not come back from.

The weapons and hand-to-hand combat section hadn't come as a surprise, but the Doctor had pleased to learn that Peter was proficient in several sports and showed more than an above-average aptitude for intelligence work.

Personal details were limited. His home address in Kent was listed, as were the details of his next of kin. David and Elizabeth Johnson were presumably his adoptive parents, but no further information on them had been added.

"Yes, but even if I had gone off this alone…" The Time Lord replied. indicating the file. "I would have already known that you were someone remarkably brave, and smart. You don't hesitate to risk your own life to protect people from things which make nightmares look like a daydream."

Pausing as he leaned back in his chair, the Doctor folded his arms. "Most importantly, Peter." He continued. "You have a good heart."

"That isn't written in my file." Peter countered.

"Doesn't mean it isn't true."

The lieutenant considered this and chose his next words carefully.

"I might not be human, Doctor." He said. "But that doesn't mean I'm inhuman either, despite the temper."

"Yes, well I think some of that today was my fault." The Doctor admitted. "Still, I dare say you more than qualify to step in through that door."

Peter barked out a small laugh as the Doctor once again pointed back over his shoulder at the TARDIS.

"I didn't realise you were hiring?" He asked. "Also, I don't recall applying for it?"

"It's like I said, I only take the best." The Doctor reiterated. "That's you, Peter."

"Sure it's got nothing to do with you obsessing over me going to Valerus?" Peter checked. "A puzzle in need of solving?"

The Doctor smiled at him and shook his head quite adamantly.

"Forget that for now." He said. "I want you to come and see what's out there. Think of it as your next assignment, a consultancy job. You can report to UNIT about what you've seen and learned when you get back. They'll be much better prepared for the future and this file of yours might have a different rank on it soon enough."

Peter looked as though he couldn't decide whether or not the Doctor was being entirely serious.

"I thought you didn't like people with guns?" He pointed out. "Why would you want a soldier travelling with you?"

"I don't like the people who use them." The Doctor corrected. "But you're different. It's the last resort, and I'm not talking about relying on what you are either. Even when pushed to the point where you might pull that trigger, you proved yourself capable of stopping and listening to others and then look for another solution."

"Several grenades for one alien," Peter remarked. "That was a bit excessive, even for me."

"Even so, you know the difference. Besides, you wouldn't be the first from UNIT to come aboard."

"The brigadier, you had quite a few adventures with him. All of which were on Earth, weren't they?"

"Yes, well. I was kind of… grounded." The Time Lord explained. "But please, Peter. Just come for a little while and see it. You won't even be gone ten seconds if you don't want to be, perks of having a time machine."

"Did you say that to Rose before she vanished for a year?" Peter asked. "If I'm even going to consider this, Doctor. You have to remember that I'm not new to the life you represent. I work in it day in and day out, up until now without you being here. I won't be fooled by enticing promises of glamorous space travel and little green men from Mars, I know both don't exist and I have dealt with the dangers of what does and I understand them for what they are."

"Good. So does that mean you're coming?"

Even as he asked one final time, the Doctor couldn't decide what his answer was going to be.

He had done everything possible to persuade Peter that coming with him and Rose in the TARDIS was the best thing for him. Despite Stefan's advice, the main reason couldn't be revealed until they got to Valerus. Regardless of this, however, the Time Lord knew that he wasn't going to regret having the soldier join them. But that wasn't up to him, and it was entirely out of his hands now.

Yes or No. The decision rested with Peter and him alone.

"Damn me for a fool." He breathed. "Fine. You have yourself a deal."

The Doctor could barely believe what he was hearing as the lieutenant held out his hand for him to shake. Taking it enthusiastically, he beamed at the younger man and was unable to hold back both his relief and happiness over his agreement.

"You won't regret it!" He exclaimed. "Oh, just you wait, Peter. Well, why wait? We could -"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Doctor," Peter told him. "There are details which need to be worked out. Unlike those before me, I can't just up and leave. UNIT need to give it their blessing first of all, and decide how long I'm going to be away for."

"Well, that won't be a problem."

Knowing the Time Lord as he did, Peter only interpreted this one way.

"You've already spoken to them?" He realised. "When… How…?"

But then, as though to answer his question, Peter heard a pair of boots squelching in the mud as someone approached the tent. The footsteps stopped just on the other side of the rolled down flap, which was pushed aside a moment later as Major Harrison stepped inside. Rather sensibly, the officer had changed into combat gear and had put on his red beret, somehow looking even more domineering than he had done before.

He didn't even blink at the sight of the TARDIS as he made his way over to the desk. Standing to attention, Peter didn't need to be told this time why he was here.

"At ease, lieutenant," Harrison said by way of greeting. "I can see that the Doctor couldn't wait to tell you in person?"

"Sir," Peter stated, relaxing his stance. "I wasn't quite -"

"We haven't discussed it completely yet, major." The Doctor intervened, smiling. "But maybe you'd like to explain the finer points of my offer?"

"Very well." The officer agreed. "Argent, I won't beat around the bush. This is highly irregular, and I almost didn't agree to it. But the Doctor has told me of how grateful he is to you and Amell for your work last night. Especially after you saved his and his companion's life."

"Yes, sir." Peter acknowledged. "But for the record, it was an overall team effort."

"Regardless, he's asked to borrow you in an official capacity," Harrison told him. "It's been referred up and a short term, experimental collaboration has been agreed of no more than six months. During this period you will act as our eyes and ears, reporting back intelligence on species and artefacts currently unknown to us upon your return. Additionally, should we require the Doctor's assistance, you will act as a liaison and bring him back to Earth."

"It'll broaden your horizons a bit." The Doctor added. "Might prove useful for your future?"

Peter was beginning to regret agreeing to it so quickly.

"It might." He said. "Major Harrison, sir. When would I be expected to depart?"

Harrison considered this for a moment.

"Yes, I would like you to have at least forty-eight hours to recuperate before you depart. Also, I am aware this is putting you on the spot a little." He said understandingly. "Even amongst our ranks, this is something not to be taken lightly."

"No, sir." Peter agreed. "I'm fully aware of what's expected of me."

His commanding officer nodded approvingly.

"Very good, lieutenant." He told him. "I shall leave you to make arrangements with the Doctor. You'll return to base as scheduled and notify us before you leave in the TARDIS. Your team will be informed of your new assignment and -"

"If that's okay, sir. I'd rather tell them myself."

"Well, then. I dare say, good luck to you, Argent."

"Thank you, sir," Peter replied. "I'll see you on my return."

He then stood to attention and saluted Major Harrison as the senior officer did the same for him. Then, waiting until he had left the tent, Peter turned his attention back to the Doctor and made sure the Time Lord knew exactly how irritated he was.

"What?" The Doctor asked, seeing his scowl. "You wanted to come."

"Yes, but you also presumed that I would." He retaliated. "It was already set in stone even before you came to ask me."

Sitting back down in his chair, Peter considered for a moment before deciding that it wasn't worth the argument. The Doctor liked to show-off and sometimes that meant being more than a few steps ahead of someone.

"Nothing is set in stone, not even time." The Doctor said. "Speaking of which, I suppose you'll be wanting those two days before we go?"

"Yes, I will. In fact, I'm going to extend it by another twenty-four hours. I need time at home, with my parents and Stefan and Emma. They need to know the truth of why I'm going. Call it a condition of me coming."

"Of course." The Doctor agreed. "Just as long as I'm allowed one of my own?"

Peter looked surprised by this and frowned at him.

"I thought you were trying to persuade me to come?" He asked. "But, fair is fair. What do you…"

He suddenly knew what it was without having to be told. This wasn't showing off, it was downright manipulation and somehow Peter couldn't find it within himself to be mad at the Doctor. If anything, he was rather impressed and intrigued by how the Time Lord had managed to bring his argument around full circle.

"Yes, I want you to go to Valerus." The Doctor said, reading his mind. "Just once. When you're ready, that is."

"Only when I am ready." Peter insisted. "No tricks or surprise landings."

"I promise." He agreed. "Also, just one other thing. The gun, that stays behind."

Unsurprisingly, the soldier didn't like the idea of this.

"No, I won't. It's dangerous out there and I'm not going unprotected, Doctor." He affirmed. "Besides, I thought you trusted me with it?"

"Peter, you're a Nimarian wolf who can bite through bone! You don't need it."

"I'll be the judge of that, Doctor. Also, according to you, it's the last resort, isn't it?"

It was a valid point.

The Doctor really didn't like guns. but sometimes there was no getting around people that did use them. Yet Peter wasn't like the others he had met, and he had shown respect in using the weapon, only resorting to firing it when it had been absolutely necessary.

"Okay," he agreed. "But if I say it stays behind on the TARDIS, it stays behind. I don't want some poor caveman discovering firearms ten thousand years too early."

"Yes, because that's a perfectly normal possibility," Peter remarked. "Fine, as per your approval. Anything else?"

"Nope, unless you have anything else?"

"No." The soldier replied. "Three days, Doctor. You have my address in that file, which you will return to UNIT straight away."

"Yes, right." He said, standing up. "Good. I'll see you then."

"You will." Peter agreed. "Now go on, get out of here before I change my mind."

The Doctor smiled as he looked straight into the Nimarian's silver eyes.

"Oh, Peter Alexander Agent. You're not going to regret this."

Peter said nothing as he watched the Time Lord turn on his heel and walk over to the TARDIS. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and vanished.

A few moments later, Peter was forced to hold down the papers on his desk as a wind kicked up from nowhere.

Having only ever seen the incredible machine in old photographs contained within the notorious Code Nine file, the lieutenant watched in awe as the spaceship began to vanish before his very eyes as its whirring engines powered it back into the depths of time and space.


	27. Chapter 26

It was a little after six o'clock by the time he reached the motorway.

Even for a Sunday night, there was very little traffic and it was proving to be a beautiful evening. The sun had just set, leaving a few lingering rays of burnt orange in the sky ahead of what was promising to be the first dry and clear night of the weekend.

With all three lanes almost deserted of any other vehicles, Peter was able to make quick progress through Hampshire. Skirting around the ancient city of Winchester and carrying on into Surry as far the ring road circling South London, he was soon approaching the border of Kent.

Though he was grateful to be nearing home and being able to collapse into his own bed, there was a part of him that had begun to wish for a delay to his journey.

How was he going to tell them? What could he say to his parents that might soften the blow of them learning of where he was about to leave them for? What would they say, and how much might it upset them when they came to the same conclusion he had that it might be a permanent separation?

Peter knew he was getting a little ahead of himself already on what was officially just another assignment UNIT had given him. Six months, he'd been away that long before and his parents hadn't worried too much about him going then. This was just another tour of duty…

One that was to take place in time and space.

But even the idea of that wasn't worrying him too much, and he might have felt the same way had he been told he was being deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. After all, hostile deserts and alien planets were not too dissimilar when he could rely upon his training and had a loaded gun with him.

Valerus was a different matter entirely, however.

Never, not once had Peter tried to envision what life there might be like. Up until today, he hadn't even known if it still existed, let alone what it was called. But now that his homeworld had a name he couldn't shake the feeling that some unseen force was pulling him towards it, removing him from everyone and everything he cared about here on Earth.

He knew he couldn't lie to them about where he was going and why. He owed them too much to do that.

To take in a child that wasn't your own was one thing, but when he wasn't even from the same world… That made his parents truly remarkable and Peter knew he had been more than lucky to have been found by them all those years ago. Even after the truth of what he was had been revealed they still hadn't abandoned him.

How the hell was he going to tell them?

Drawing in a deep breath, he continued on without hindrance as the continued lack of congestion made it dishearteningly easy to navigate his Triumph Daytona motorcycle through the disappointingly small amount of traffic. The charcoal black sixteen-valve, three-cylinder racer was his pride and joy. It had developed a reputation on the market for being remarkably light and nimble, whilst also retaining sheer power and racing pedigree. With a mere twist of the throttle, Peter could feel the exhilarating surge of the six hundred and seventy-five cc engine that was capable of reaching speeds in the region of one hundred and fifty miles an hour.

Would they have such things on Valerus?

Peter had never much cared for the smell of burning rubber and exhaust fumes but he had become accustomed to them over the years and could tolerate their noisy, polluting ways. Perhaps had he grown up with horses and carriages the same might have been said for the smell of manure, although he knew that stench well enough living as he did in the country.

Perhaps one small consolation was that Stefan already knew what was going on.

As requested, Peter had been allowed to be the one to inform his team that he about to leave them. He had waited until they had returned to their barracks at Southampton, and upon telling them there had been an unsurprising flurry of questions from more than one of the surprised soldiers.

Stefan had been the only one not to say anything.

Given he knew the real reason why the idea had even been proposed in the first place, Peter knew his response would come later in private. But he had barely been able to look his best friend in the eye as he had delivered the news. He had made a huge show of not wanting to go, and Stefan had backed him up wholeheartedly. Now it seemed, he had jumped at the chance without even so much as asking his opinion.

But the discussion would have to wait.

UNIT just like any military organisation ran like clockwork and as soon as Peter had spoken with his team he had been handed a list of tasks and meetings that had taken up most of the afternoon. Paperwork needed to signed and Major Harrison had called him in to discuss the finer details of his after-action report and his subsequent departure. He had barely had the time to squeeze in a phone call to the hospital to speak with Davidson, and he had been relieved to hear that the injured soldier was on the mend and was to be discharged the following day.

By the time he was finished, Peter had been one of the last to leave.

Stefan hadn't required admission to A&E himself, but a cracked rib courtesy of Karina's monstrous arm meant that he had left hours ago. Granted a leave of absence to recover, Emma had driven him home and Peter was in no doubt that she would be told everything during the journey.

Starting to feeling nauseous as he reached the Maidstone and turned off the M3, Peter still didn't know what he was going to say as he drove away from the town and into the countryside.

There were hardly any signposts for the village of Milstead. It was simply too small for the local council to bother landmarking and the surrounding country lanes and twisting tree-lined roads were anonymous and confusing even in daylight. But Peter knew his way around like the back of his hand, and the bright headlights of his motorbike were soon illuminating the deserted flag market.

The weatherbeaten war memorial still had a few poppy reefs propped up against it, leftover from Remembrance Day the previous November. The small stone pillar sat in front of the community hall, both of which faced a dozen market stalls with their green and white striped roofs. The lights of the Windlowe Inn across the road were warm and inviting, and Peter briefly considered stopping off at the thatched-roofed pub before zooming on past it.

There was no denying that it was a beautiful part of the country. In the height of summer, the village attracted its fair share of visitors, nearly all of whom had accidentally stumbled across it on their way through Kent towards the more famous Canterbury and Margate.

Peter knew every inch of it and the surrounding trees and fields were full of childhood hiding places and memories. He had gone to primary school here, and there wasn't a resident that he didn't know well enough to say hello to.

Milstead was also where his secret lived.

Just beyond the village, in those same woods where he had played in as a child was where he had first arrived on Earth. His arrival and gone unnoticed by all but his parents, it had been Bonfire Night and the damage of a spaceship slamming a sizeable hole into the forest had been blamed on a wayward firework. Almost on the exact same spot sixteen years later Peter had transformed for the first time and he had used the rural location more than once to practice his abilities, safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't be seen.

Slowing down as he reached his driveway, Peter turned onto the single track road and drove past the large wooden gateposts that were one of the few remaining remnants of the house's farming days.

A solid redbrick Victorian home, Oak Church Cottage was perhaps inadequately named given the majority of surrounding trees were birch and the nearest church was in the village over a mile away. It had always managed to look slightly dwarfed by the acres of woodland which surrounded it, but it only added to the aesthetic charm of the property.

Parking next to his dad's blue Nissan X-Trail, Peter killed the engine and kicked out the stand with his boot. As he swung off his bike and removed his helmet, he saw the lights of the lounge were on behind the closed curtains.

It was had gone half-past eight and his parents would have already eaten their dinner. His father was almost certainly now sat down in his favourite armchair as he watched the television. Sunday usually meant the horse racing highlights were on, and he followed the sport religiously.

Peter knew his mother would not be content with spending the evening this way.

With each operation he was sent on came the natural fussing over his safety. Often, if his dad's reports were to be believed, she would tidy the house several times over when he was away, and Peter had once caught her scrubbing the front doorstep upon returning from an assignment.

Normally, he would make sure to call her the first chance he got.

But this time Peter had only sent her a series of quick text messages, giving the excuse of his work for not being able to speak. The last of which had been just before setting off from the barracks and he had not bothered to check his phone for a reply, ignoring it even as he had felt it vibrate multiple times in his pocket.

She had wanted to talk to him before she knew he would be driving, or maybe it was Stefan finally deciding that it was safe for him to speak.

Peter's boots crunched loudly against the gravelly path leading up to the front door. He knew this could be heard inside and only served to remind him that he could no longer delay the inevitable. Reluctantly, he took out his key and slipped it into the lock. Hearing it cluck open Peter inhaled in deeply as he pulled down the door handle and stepped inside.

Elizabeth Johnson had not been able to relax all weekend. Specifically, from sixteen minutes past ten the previous morning.

She and her son had been out together doing the weekly shop in Waitrose in the middle of the frozen vegetable aisle when Peter's phone had started to ring. He didn't say who it was but the serious expression which clouded his face as he turned away from her told Elizabeth without him needing to.

"Argent." He greeted. "Go ahead."

Already gritting her teeth Elizabeth had tried not to look too worried when he finished up the call and looked back to her with an apologetic smile.

"Was that work?" She asked. "Do they need you?"

"Yeah, straight away." He replied, nodding. "The whole team."

"Where? Is it…"

Elizabeth understood that she wasn't allowed to know anything and also that Peter wasn't meant to tell her. But this was always the worst moment for her. With one phone call, he was now a soldier again and she could that tell his mind was already wandering away from her and onto the job at hand. Though she couldn't be prouder of him, there was always the lingering fear of knowing just how dangerous his occupation was.

"The New Forest." He said. "Just a recon for now, there's been a suspicious occurrence."

Occurrence usually meant someone had died, though Peter never wanted to tell her this directly.

"Do they know what it is yet?"

"No, but it won't be anything I can't handle." He reassured. "Maybe something, probably nothing."

"You say that every time, Peter."

"Mum, I say it because it's true." He told her. "I'll be okay. Stefan and the boys will have my back, and it's not even a full-blown invasion this time."

"For now it isn't." Elizabeth sighed. "When will you be back?"

"A day, maybe two. I've got to go to Southampton first and get properly briefed, but I'll call you as soon as I can."

With little choice but to let him go, Elizabeth nodded reluctantly.

"Right, take my car and grab your bike from home." She said. "I'll ring dad and ask him to come and meet me to help finish the shopping."

Fishing her car keys from her handbag, she pressed them into his hand.

"Thanks, mum." He said, smiling. "Right, I better go."

Before he was able to dash off, however, Elizabeth caught hold of his arm and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Please be careful." She whispered into his ear. "Come home safely."

"I will. I promise."

That had been almost thirty-six hours ago, and for most of that time there hadn't been a word heard from him. But even though Elizabeth was used to these extended periods of silence she hated the bouts of worrying that had continued to plague her. Doing little to ease those fears, the main headline of the Sunday lunchtime news had concerned the New Forest.

A whole river had been drained after collapsing into an undiscovered cavern.

No-one had been reported to have been hurt and interviewed experts had done their best to come up with an explanation, most of them astounded it had happened at all. Yet, Elizabeth felt it was no coincidence such a peculiar event could have happened in such close proximity to where her son was meant to be working.

She had finally been allowed some relief when Peter had texted her that afternoon.

The three messages she had received had been short and continued nothing more than a reassurance that he was back at his barracks and that he would be home sometime that evening. Elizabeth had resisted the urge to call him right up until Peter had told her he was about to set off. When his phone went unanswered, however, she had been forced to reassure herself that he was already on the road or simply was tired and in a hurry to get back.

Having slightly overcooked the lasagna that evening as a consequence of her worrying, Elizabeth had welcomed the distraction of scrubbing the burned remnants out of the ceramic dish. It and the rest of the pots, plates and pieces of cutlery were soon gleaming from her efforts. Drying each of them by hand, she had tried not to look at the clock mounted on the wall next to her.

It was almost a quarter to nine by the time the front door finally opened.

"Oh, thank goodness!" She breathed. "Peter, is that you?"

Leaving the last of the plates she had been about to put away, Elizabeth dashed out of the kitchen and through the dining room before bustling into the narrow hallway where Peter was stood by the front door, his keys in one hand and his bike helmet in the other.

But Elizabeth's beaming smile fell away when she saw the look on his face.

Peter was clearly exhausted and in need of a good meal and his bed and she had been expecting this knowing he had spent the previous night in the middle of nowhere, dealing with goodness knows what it was UNIT had sent him to sort out. But never, as he did right now, had her son looked quite so unhappy even now that he was home.

Guilty was the word that came to mind, as though he was about to deliver news of something he didn't want her to know.

It seemed to take him a moment to register that she was even stood there at all, and even then he waited until he had set down his helmet onto the floor before saying anything. Dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing the day before, he had also brought home with him his large Bergen rucksack which normally remained behind at the barracks.

"Hey, sorry, I er... Long day."

"I know that sweetheart, but are you alright?" Elizabeth asked. "You seem a little… off?"

"Do I?" He replied with a slight chuckle. "I'm done in, that's for sure."

He sounded nervous and Elizabeth was now certain that he was hiding something from her. He had ignored her call, and not even properly greeted her when he had come in. With a sudden sinking feeling, she wondered if the news had been wrong about no-one being hurt. Peter had a dangerous job, and there was always the possibility that someone might not have returned home this time.

Stepping forward, she gently took hold of his hand.

"Peter? What is it?" She questioned. "You can tell me. Is everyone all right, no one got hurt or -"

"No, everyone's fine. Well, Davidson got a few scratches, but he'll be fine. It's just..."

His words tailed away from him again and Elizabeth noticed that he wasn't quite looking her in the eye. Before anything else could be said, however, the lounge door next to them swung open.

"There he is!" David Johnson laughed. "Fresh from saving the world!"

Joyfully striding over and clapping his arms around his son, he laughed again upon seeing Peter's weary face. "But maybe not so fresh-faced, hey?" He said, grinning. "You look like you need to get some food in you, or maybe a stiff drink. Mum's left you some lasagna and -"

"David, let him get in first!" Elizabeth sharply scalded. "Honestly, and can't you see that something's wrong?"

Peter winced as he saw his father's brow furrowed with confusion.

His throat was completely dry as both his parents then looked his way, their expressions identical in demanding that he provide some input to this. Peter had been about to give it as well, he had been on the verge of telling his mother everything when the arrival of his dad had prevented the words from coming about.

The Doctor, the murderous bat creatures and their insatiable appetite for blood and life. The offer to go in the TARDIS to Valerus and...

Everything he'd been holding onto all day had been about to spill out of him. But now, with both of them stood in front of him with such concerned and troubled faces, Peter lost his nerve and bottled it at the very last moment. His next words to them were nothing but a downright lie.

"Nothing's wrong, mum." He reassured her. "I'm just really really tired, that's all."

His mother was a foot shorter than he was, and outwardly this presented a kindly-looking woman. But it was a mistake to assume that this made Elizabeth Johnson a pushover and Peter knew from plenty of experience that crossing her was just as dangerous as any of the monstrous aliens he had previously encountered.

If he hadn't of known that she was human, he might have been convinced she was part wolf given her ability to suss out when she was being lied to.

"No, I know when something's wrong with you, Peter." She told him sternly, folding her arms. "What is it?"

"I'm fine, honestly." He insisted, flashing her what he hoped was a convincing smile. "It was a tough job, that's all. Quite a tale, really. Giant bats and secret underground caves."

Fortunately, this was enough to disarm his father as the look of accusation dropped in favour of a large smile. With a laugh, he pointed over his shoulder and into the lounge at the television in the corner of the room. Right now it was showing the horse racing results from the weekends meets at Exeter, Newcastle and Sandown Park.

"Yes, we did hear something on the news." He said. "A river caving in, was that you?"

"Maybe," Peter replied, shrugging. "You know I'm not allowed to say, dad."

But even the Official Secrets Act wasn't going to save him from having to tell them the truth, and he could almost hear the conversation in his head even now.

Yes, mum. Something is wrong because in three days time I'm jetting off into space in a time machine that looks like a big blue police box with a madman who's also an alien. Oh, and when I'm away I'm also going to be visiting the planet where I was born, just in case I have another family there that I might want to meet and live the rest of my life with.

None of this came out, however, and Peter forced out a deliberately long yawn.

"You are tired." His dad pointed out. "Why don't you go on up to bed?"

Grateful that the trick had worked, Peter nodded as though thankful of this.

"Yeah, I will." He responded. "I'll skip the lasagne, thanks. I'm not hungry."

Another lie made obvious as his empty stomach growled in protest, begging for sustenance. His mother heard it and raise a suspicious eyebrow at him. She was about to argue back when David, perhaps sensing his wife's next words, quickly leapt to his son's defence once again.

"Go on, Peter." He said. "I'll bring you up a cup of tea in a few minutes."

Not trusting himself to say anything further, Peter didn't dare look his mother in the eye as he picked up his helmet and scooted past them both before making his escape as he headed up the stairs and turned left towards his bedroom.

With her husband leaving to put the kettle on, Elizabeth was left standing on her own in the hallway as she continued to look up the stairs. Debating for a moment whether or not to follow after Peter and get the truth of what he was hiding out of him, she eventually decided against it.

Confronting her son would do them both no good and Peter would only attempt to conceal it from her even more.

The sharp ringing of the house phone distracted her from her thoughts, and Elizabeth turned on her heel and walked into the lounge. Picking up the handset, she pressed down on the answer button and was greeted by Emma Amell's voice.

"Oh, hello Emma. How are you?" She greeted. "How's Stefan? Peter's just got home, do you want to -"

But Emma quickly dispensed with any pleasantries and immediately got straight to the point why she was calling.

"Liz, I don't want to say too much if Peter hasn't already told you." She quickly told her. "It's just that Stefan has been ringing him and, well... Has he told you?"

"Told me what?"

Emma must have heard the ironclad tone of her voice because she faltered slightly on the other end of the line.

"Ah… He hasn't told you." She replied. "Right, well maybe -"

"Emma, if something is going on with him I have the right to know."

"Yes, of course." The younger woman agreed. "But perhaps -"

"Wait, hang on a minute. Don't say anything else."

Pressing her hand over the phone, Elizabeth quickly made her way into the kitchen and over to the sink. Turning the tap on fully, allowing cold water to freely pour into the sink, she waited a moment before taking her hand away from the phone again.

Stood making Peter's cup of tea, David frowned at her and stopped to watch.

Given the age of the house, the walls and floors were quite thick, and it was difficult for anyone to hear anything that was being said in any other room unless the door between them had been left open. Still, on the rare occasion that they wanted a completely private conversation, David and Elizabeth would always make sure they had it next to a form of running water so that Peter was unable to use his heightened hearing to listen in on them.

"What's going on?" David asked. "Who's on the phone?"

"It's Emma." His wife mouthed back. "Something about..."

But Emma must have heard the running water and knew that it was now safe for her to beginning speaking again.

"Okay, now I've only just been told all of this." She said. "I thought Peter might have already said, and Stefan has smoothed over the details somewhat."

In the background, Elizabeth heard a noise of protest that must have come from Stefan himself.

"Emma, just tell me." She pleaded. "What is going on, what isn't Peter telling me?"


	28. Chapter 27

The presence of bright, warm sunlight surprised Peter when he woke up.

Frowning and screwing his eyes tightly shut again, he groaned in protest and rolled over in his bed as he turned away from the window and the offending light that was now streaming in through it. How long had he been out? At least twelve hours, that was for sure as it must have already gone eight o'clock in the morning.

Opening his eyes reluctantly, he stared at the navy blue painted wall his bed was pressed up against. If it was as early as he thought it was, would there be any point getting up at this hour?

Something was draped over him, but it was not his duvet. Realising it was the grey throw blanket which usually remained folded across the bottom half of his bed, Peter peeped below the covering and saw that he was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans he'd had on the night before.

He needn't of lied about being tired. Having casually discarded his biking boots and jacket in a pile on the floor near his desk along with his helmet and rucksack, he had fallen onto his bed and must have passed out the moment his head had hit the pillow.

Surfacing from under the blanket, Peter caught a sudden whiff of cold tea and saw a large mug was sat on his bedside table.

His father must have come in, found him fast asleep and left it there in case he woke up. That explained the blanket being draped over him, and Peter noticed further evidence his dad's visit. Tiny details, but obvious now that he looked around his room properly.

His jacket was now draped across the back of his chair, whilst his boots were gone and presumably back in their proper place at the bottom of the wardrobe. His rucksack and helmet remained almost when he had left them, but the bag had been neatly propped upright against the drawers of his desk.

It was a replacement for the one he had blown up down in caves, packed to the brim now for everything that he was going to need for his next assignment. Not that, Peter needed reminding of it right now.

Groggy and with a slightly dry mouth that came from oversleeping, he knew that further rest would prove impossible even if he wanted it.

Kicking the blanket off him, he forced himself up and swung his legs off the bed. Sitting there for a moment, he stared around at his room. It had barely changed since he'd been a teenager, though his Green Day poster had long since disappeared. But then again, there had been no real need to do anything to it and he had alternatively not given too much thought to moving out.

With his job taking him anywhere at any time, and neither his parents nor him needing the extra room a move would produce, he simply hadn't decided there was any point. More importantly, he liked where he lived and had never known any other home but this one. Practically speaking, he had saved some money but on his current wage, Peter knew he would have to leave Milstead and the higher prices its desirability commanded and settle for somewhere perhaps closer to Maidstone.

Stefan and Emma had made their first home together in a small two-up two-down house on the opposite side of the village. But that had been inherited two years ago when Emma's grandmother had passed away, though Stefan had already been living were her there eight months before then.

Peter suddenly snorted at the idea of house hunting. The irony was laughable given where he was about to go. The thought of travelling to an entirely different planet made such a trivial thing such as looking for a flat seem almost idiotic. Maybe Valerus had some nice affordable penthouses worth considering?

But the joke only served to remind Peter of the news he still hadn't shared with his parents, and the knot in his stomach tightened again.

He had ducked out of it last night and he knew that he had to tell them today. The Doctor would be here in two days and it was going to be hard enough as it was to sum up the Time Lord and his TARDIS without having to admit that he was about to spend the next six months exploring the farthest reaches of the known universe.

"Okay, Argent." He told himself. "Come on. Man up and get it over with."

Fishing some clean clothes out of the wardrobe, Peter quickly changed and dashed into the bathroom next door to clean his teeth and attempt to comb his unruly hair. Glancing at his reflection, he still looked tired but it was a huge step up to how he knew he must have looked after escaping those wretched caves.

Content for now by splashing some water onto his face, he felt much better for it as the delicious smell of sizzling bacon soon enticed him down the stairs, prompting his hollow stomach to remind him that he had not eaten since the previous afternoon. Quickening his pace, the rug covering the hallway's wooden floor skidded slightly beneath him as he made his way into the lounge.

That was when he stopped dead in tracks.

Despite the early hour, both his parents were already up and dressed. So were Stefan and Emma, both of his friends were still wearing their coats and looked as though they had only just arrived. But they could have been there for five minutes or five hours, it didn't matter. Peter immediately sensed the trap he had just walked into. All four of them looked his way, yet no one greeted him. In fact, no one seemed keen on being the first one to speak up as a very awkward silence hovered around them all.

In the end, it was Stefan who broke it.

"Alright, mate?" He ventured. "How'd you sleep? I passed out on the drive home."

But though he smiled warmly at his friend, Peter could see a look in his eyes that was warning him of what was about to come.

"Yeah, I slept fine." He replied, not moving from the doorway. "How are you feeling? You face looks awful."

The bruises caused by the fall in the cave had turned deep purple, and Stefan's eye was still slightly swollen. Peter could also see a freshly applied gauze pad poking up just past the collar of his jumper where the infant creature had clawed into his neck. He was definitely on the mend, but it could have easily been so much worse.

"Yeah, I'm getting there." He replied. "On leave for a week. Desk duty for a while after I get back."

"Right, good to hear. Erm… Anyone else starving? That bacon smells deli…"

Making the mistake of turning to his mother, Peter didn't dare utter a single word more as he saw just how furious she was with him. Any chance of being able to tell her the truth in the way he would have liked to was long since gone, as was any hope of avoiding mentioning one destination in particular.

Stood next to the fireplace, Elizabeth wasn't in the least bit concerned with finishing off making the breakfast.

"Yes, Emma did mention the two of you had some time off." She stated. "Though I hear you've already been reassigned?"

Emma shifted uncomfortably, but she remained silent. Peter couldn't blame her. He should have told them last night, and now he was having to deal with the consequences. Opening his mouth to speak, he found himself unable to respond and instead turned to his father in the hope of some kind of reinforcement.

But the look on his face said it all, and Peter knew that this time he was on his own.

David was sat in his favourite armchair, his reading glasses perched on top of his thinning brown hair. Looking both furious and disappointed, it was a very unique expression reserved only for the childish, even stupid antics that even he wasn't prepared to let slide.

Peter could vividly remember the last time he had seen it.

Just a few days after completing his GCSE exams, he along with Stefan and several other friends had decided to celebrate by sneaking out into the woods with a considerable collection of alcoholic drinks they had pilfered from their respective houses.

Peter had arrived at the meeting spot on his very first motorbike.

It was a tiny thing compared to the Triumph he had now, with it having only a pitiful 50cc engine. But being a teenager in possession of such a machine, it had been the fastest and coolest thing on two wheels in his opinion. Several cans of cheap lager and a bottle of wine later, and this opinion had been put to the test when he had been dared to see if he could max it out on a nearby stretch of road.

Some of his more sober friends, including Stefan, had voiced some concerns as Peter had slipped on his helmet and revved up the engine.

Ignoring them completely, however, and despite the alcohol he had consumed he had felt nothing but a surge of adrenaline and a desire to prove himself. Speeding off down the tarmac, there was little chance of encountering anyone else at such a late hour, let alone the police.

To say that it hadn't ended well was an understatement.

In his haste, Peter had failed to turn the headlight on despite there being no streetlights this far out into the countryside. But that didn't matter, not when his eyes could see just as clearly through the darkness as though it might have been the middle of the day. No, his downfall had been his inexperience. Peter had not yet gotten used to the handling of the bike at such speeds, especially around sharp bends.

Coming across a hairpin turn he had not been expecting, he had still been travelling at over fifty miles an hour as he forced the bike to skid around the tight corner.

Thinking he had gotten away with it for a single fleeting second, Peter was soon proven horribly wrong as his front wheel failed to put enough pressure down which caused his rear tire to violently kick out. Trying to correct it, he had sped up. But this only served to shift the pressure onto his front wheel as it too jerked erratically from side to side. It was called a speed wobble, and it was easy to see why. No matter what he tried he could not stop the out of control machine as it weaved all over the road, shaking so much that it was rattling his bones.

It only ended when the laws of physics had sent him and his bike tumbling down.

The crash was big and loud. His friends had heard it from over a mile away and had gone running to his aid. Still, it took them over ten minutes to reach him. By which point, Peter had already regained consciousness and healed himself.

He wasn't quite sure, but after slamming into the tarmac and blacking out, he woke up to what felt like a broken right collarbone as well as a fractured left wrist and ankle from where the bike had landed on top of him before the machine had slid on ahead of him down the road.

With all evidence of trauma fading away and nothing but a few scuff marks on his helmet and jacket to show for the crash, Peter had laughed away his friends' obvious concerns and had managed to convince them all that he had been incredibly lucky. Only Stefan knew that this was not true, but he could be trusted not to say anything given what he had already seen the year before.

Peter's motorbike had not been as fortunate.

Trails of glass from the broken lights and one of the brake handles eventually lead them to the broken heap of metal that was now wrapped around a large tree just off the side of the road. It was a complete write-off, and he had been forced to wheel it all the way back home, which proved hard given the front tire had been severely bent to the left.

The sun had just risen by the time he reached his driveway.

But within seconds of coming within sight of the house, Peter knew that there was little chance of him being able to sneak back in unnoticed. The front door had immediately opened, and his mother had stepped out in her fluffy dressing gown and slippers.

Then his father had stormed past her. Already dressed for work in his suit and tie, Peter had never seen him so angry as he was that morning. David Johnson's face was flushed red and was contorted with fury. His nostrils were flaring dangerously and his eyes had narrowed into slits as he marched over to his son with clenched fists.

"Do I even have to ask!?" He had bellowed at the top of his voice. "What the hell were you thinking, Peter!?"

Peter had faltered under his father's rage and guessed that at least one of his friends must have been caught by their parents, or had confessed to them what had happened. Those parents wouldn't have wasted any time in informing those who weren't aware, including his own.

Even if they hadn't, however, the smashed up bike and missing alcohol was evidence enough to convict him.

"I..." He began. "I didn't -"

"Didn't what, Peter?" David questioned. "Didn't think? No, you did not. Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I have been? We were woken up at six o'clock this morning to be told that you'd come crashing off of that stupid thing!"

He pointed at the bike as though it was to blame for its careless rider's actions.

"I'm sorry, okay." Peter snapped back. "It was an accident."

"No, you wanted to show off." His father corrected. "What's makes it worse, you were drinking too!"

Peter couldn't deny that. But in his defence, he hadn't even felt tipsy when he had climbed onto his bike and even now didn't feel as though he had even had a single sip of beer. This had happened before the last time he'd had alcohol, and he was beginning to wonder if being what he was had causing this. After all, if his body could heal broken bones in a couple of minutes then was it entirely impossible to imagine that it could burn off the effect of drinking too?

Whether true or not, Peter could see that his father wasn't in the mood for any excuse he might have.

"I had a few beers." He admitted. "Same as everyone else."

David's attention had swiftly moved onto his lacking of any injures, which would otherwise have been impossible given the state the motorbike was in.

"I take it whatever damage has been done has gone?" He asked. "Nothing to show for your little stunt?"

"No, I healed," Peter mumbled. "Couple of broken bones, that's all."

"Yes, and what would have happened if any of those boys had seen it?" His dad yelled at him. "What if they had called an ambulance or taken you to the hospital? How would you have explained yourself!?"

"I don't know!" Peter shouted back. "But they didn't see anything, okay."

"This time, Peter. This time they didn't, and just because you can recover more quickly does not give you the right to go around risking your life on some stupid, pointless dare!"

"Alright, dad. You've made your point!"

"Have I?" David snorted. "I hope I have, son. Because I will not tolerate you wasting what you can do."

That hurt Peter more than the crash had.

"Well, that won't be a problem seeing as I'm always having to hide it." He countered. "How can I waste my talents, dad? I can't even talk about them to anyone else!"

His dad softened at this and calmed down significantly.

It had almost been a year since Peter had learned that he wasn't human and unlocked all that he could do after enduring his first transformation. Keeping it all hidden away from the world when he was trying to learn to live with it at the same time had led to a lot of frustration and caused some arguments, especially seeing as the main burden of it rested on the shoulders of a sixteen-year-old boy.

"Peter, I know it's hard." He told him. "But you have to be so careful."

"In case I turn into the big bad wolf?" Peter snapped. "I can't... I can't do anymore, dad. I don't wanna hide myself away."

There was a spark of yellow in his eyes now. David saw it and said nothing this time, instead he stepped over to his son and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Just because people won't see that side of you doesn't mean you have to hide away." He said. "Yes, being what you are has some advantages as well as disadvantages. But what I will not tolerate is you relying on them all of the time."

"Yeah, I suppose being a wolf isn't going to get me a job, is it?"

"You don't need it to. You're smart, and you breezed through your exams." His dad encouraged. "Once you complete your A-Levels you'll have your pick of universities, or if you still want to join the army then I know you'll do great things there."

Peter had already made enquiries at the local recruiting office. Given Peter's proficiency in languages, he even had the option of training to become an officer. There had even been talk of a UN peacekeeping authority that was recruiting in the area.

"Yeah, I suppose so." He admitted. "But -"

"But nothing, Peter," David told him. "Human or not, you are better than what happened last night and someday I hope that you won't have to conceal what you are. Until then, you only use it to do something far more worthwhile than showing off to your mates."

The wise words had stuck.

Over the following years, Peter had remained consciously aware of the consequences of using his wolf side unnecessarily and had chosen his moments carefully when he'd need to. With Stefan aiding him in the unpredictable environment their jobs at UNIT came with, he had felt much more at ease with maintaining the balance of secrecy and embracing who he was.

Were the people of Valerus so restricted in their own lives?

Peter doubt it. There, in a world where it was as normal as the sky on Earth was blue, they would be free to transform whenever they liked without anyone so much as batting an eyelid. They wouldn't have to hide away or lie when they injured themselves and neither would they be forced into going through it all without the company of someone who knew exactly what it felt like themselves.

The Doctor was right.

Holding back on what he could do, fearful of what people's reactions might be made Peter angry sometimes and it would make a nice change if that wasn't going to be a problem anymore. Whilst such freedoms were available to him at home, it was a small consolation when the rest of the world could never know.

But as he looked at his mother now, Peter felt sick to the stomach of even considering the idea of going anywhere other than the kitchen for his breakfast.

"Mum, I was going to tell you." He began. "It's just -"

"Sit down, Peter." His mother ordered. "We need to talk."


End file.
